Inclusiveness of Economic Growth in the People's Republic of China: What Do Population Health Outcomes Tell Us?

Abstract

Ajay Tandon and Juzhong Zhuang find that despite the People’s Republic of China’s remarkable economic growth, improvements in population health outcomes actually slowed during the reform period. Along with increasing commercialization of the health sector, urban–rural disparities in health have increased, and there are large health inequalities between the rich and the poor. The authors argue that even if the market is to play a major role in health provision in the country, it is imperative that the government provide the appropriate regulatory and protective cover so as to ensure that economic growth does not leave a large section of its population behind with regard to key development indicators such as health.