Economic, health and social impact of diseases and health problems: information and tools for evaluating public policies

Health is one of the pillars where the welfare of individuals and societies rests. From an individual perspective, enjoying good health is not enough to achieve or maintain a high degree of comfort and happiness but it is, in general terms, a necessary condition. Moreover, given that health has a dual nature, consumption and investment, good health of populations is a component of the stock of human capital. Although good health does not ensure future economic development, is a necessary condition for it (Sachs, 2001; European Commission 2007).

The significant resources invested in health care and social services by the countries around us, and our own, certainly reflects the priority that our society gives to health, and the funds allocated to prevention and treatment, to avoid as far as possible the pain and suffering caused by diseases and health problems. The efficiency in primary and secondary prevention of these problems and the provision of quality health and social care at a reasonable cost (sustainability) are certainly major concerns for public and private decision makers and, ultimately, for each one of the members who make up the society. The demographic change that will occur over the next decades in Spain and Europe, along with other technological, economic and social changes will test the soundness of our welfare state in general and the health system and the system for autonomy and dependency care in particular.

This project is focused on estimating the economic and social impact of diseases and health problems; estimating resources that should be oriented to health care in the futures; identifying inequalities in the provision of such services; and evaluating programs and policies focused on improving the health and welfare of citizens. The fundamental idea is providing new and useful information to be combined with additional economic, budgetary and health data in order to help the public planner to design and evaluate health policies and programs.

To estimate the labour impact of the diseases and health problems

• Coordinator: Juan Oliva y Berta Rivera
• Luz María Peña; Isaac Aranda; Julio López Bastida, Luis Currais, Bruno Casal

To estimate the social value of informal care

• Coordinator: Francisco Escribano y Juan Oliva
• Pablo Moya, Isabel Pardo, Luz María Peña; Issac Aranda; Julio López-Bastida

Health spending and population aging

• Coordinator: Álvaro Hidalgo
• Isaac Aranda Reneo, Luz Maria Peña, Rosa Urbanos, Juan Oliva

Funding social services

• Coordinator: Francisco Escribano
• Isabel Pardo, Pablo Moya, Raul del Pozo

To analyse inequalities in the access to healthcare and social services

• Coordinator: Rosa Urbanos
• Luz María Peña, Juan Oliva