Health Equity and Good Intentions in Latin America

This paper questions the particular definitions of "health equity" that are used in political debates in Latin America by demonstrating that they can lead to less equitable rather than more equitable health systems. It presents examples for the distribution of health services compared to other social measures, evaluates the implications of some of the most common definitions of equity and looks at misconceptions of equity in health financing. It ends with a discussion of the resulting policy implications for the health systems of Latin America.

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