Distributionally Sensitive Measurement and Valuation of Population Health

Arbeitspapier

We introduce a measure of population health that is sensitive to dispersion in both age-specific health and lifespan. The measure generalises health-adjusted life expectancy without requiring more data. A transformation of change in the measure gives a distributionally sensitive monetary valuation of change in population health and disease burden. Application to Sub-Saharan Africa between 1990 and 2019 reveals that the change in population health is sensitive to allowing for lifespan dispersion but is less sensitive to age-specific health dispersion. Distributional sensitivity changes relative burdens of diseases, reduces convergence between the burdens of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and so could influence disease prioritisation. It increases the value of health improvements relative to GDP.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper ; No. TI 2023-017/V

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health and Inequality ; Health and Economic Development ; Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts ; Value of Life; Forgone Income ; Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
• Subject: Health ; Lifespan ; Life Expectancy ; Inequality ; Global Burden of Disease ; Sub-Saharan Africa

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Da Costa, Shaun ; O'Donnell, Owen ; Van Gestel, Raf
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Tinbergen Institute
• (where): Amsterdam and Rotterdam
• (when): 2023

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/273828
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET