The Open Pharmacoeconomics & Health Economics Journal
2019, 7 : 9-18Published online 2019 August 30. DOI: 10.2174/1874129001907010009
Publisher ID: TOPHARMEJ-7-9
REVIEW ARTICLE
GDP Growth and Health Care Expenditures Worldwide
* Address correspondence to this author at Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34 000 Kragujevac, Serbia; Tel: +381 34 306 800; E-mail: stepovicmilos@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Background:
Impact of large recessions on GDP growth is well documented and their effect on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is definitive. Health care expenditure is growing everywhere in the world. The most important factors such as GDP, income per capita, health system factors, urbanization, aging, and socio-demographic factors are well determined and described.
Objective:
The main aim of this literature review is the summation of all factors affecting the GDP and healthcare expenditure. The second aim is presenting the bigger picture of the multifactorial connection between all impacts on healthcare expenditure. The last aim is proposing possible strategies for the development of sustainable health systems.
Conclusion:
Tracking the economic trend changes is necessary. Government investments in health must be as large as countries can afford due to the population aging, non-communicable disease and treatment, and pharmacological innovations. The cost-effectiveness estimates and Hierarchical task analyses are among some plausible solutions for making informed resource allocation decisions.