BSc Global Development

This course is an introduction to theories and evidence relating to health economics in the Global South. The theoretical part of the course builds on the Year 2 Development Microeconomics course unit and uses concepts introduced in the Year 1 Skills 2 course unit; the Year 2 Intermediate Statistics course unit is also recommended to student considering taking Health Economics. 

The unit aims to provide students with a grounding in health economics and its application to developing countries, equipping them to combine theory and data to analyse healthcare policy questions.

Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction

Week 2: Household choices about healthcare: theory

Week 3: Household choices about healthcare: evidence (1)

Week 4: Household choices about healthcare: evidence (2)

Week 5: The supply of healthcare: theory

Week 6: The supply of healthcare: evidence and policy (1)

Week 7: The supply of healthcare: evidence and policy (2)

Week 8: Special topic 1: child labour and child health

Week 9: Special topic 2: mental health

Week 10: Special topic 3: infectious diseases

Teaching and learning will be based on lectures (twice per week) and tutorials (once per week). Lectures will combine presentation of the learning material with some interactive discussion. Reading lists, lecture slides and tutorial questions will be posted on Blackboard. Tutorials will provide students with the opportunity to engage critically with the learning material through group discussions and presentations. Advice on how to prepare for each tutorial will be posted on Blackboard.

• Describe and distinguish between different theories of the demand for healthcare
• Describe and distinguish between different theories of the supply of healthcare services and healthcare markets

• Evaluate theories in health economics using appropriate data sources
• Compare the characteristics of different models of healthcare supply and demand.
• Critically analyse healthcare policy choices using appropriate theory and data

• Find, interpret and correctly reference published research
• Present and analyse alternative arguments involving theory and evidence
• Manage datasets using Excel and Stata

• Develop a critical and analytical argument, making use of appropriate evidence
• Communicate ideas in writing in a form appropropriate for the academic community and the policy-making commmunity 

First draft of a written assignment based on analysis of a macro-economic dataset (minus Introduction and Conclusion) (1,000 words)

Second draft of a written assignment based on analysis of a macroeconomic dataset. (1,500 words)

Students will revise their draft assignments for summative assessment.

Written comments via Blackboard

Barbara McPake, Charles Normand, Samantha Smith and Anne Nolan (2020) Health Economics: An International Perspective (4th edition), London: Routledge Jere R. Behrman and Anil B. Deolalikar (1988) “Health and nutrition,” Handbook of Development Economics, 1: 631-711

John Strauss and Duncan Thomas (1995) “Human resources: Empirical modeling of household and family decisions,” Handbook of Development Economics, 3: 1883-2023 Germano Mwabu (2007) “Health Economics for low-income countries,” Handbook of Development Economics, 4: 3305-3374

T. Paul Schultz (2010) “Population and Health Policies,” Handbook of Development Economics, 5: 4785-4881