Effects of Macroeconomic Policies on Health* Effects of Macroeconomic Policies on Health.

The paper highlights that macroeconomic policies do not often confer anticipated positive benefits in the desired direction. Indeed, macroeconomic policies may impact health outcomes negatively, create inequality and some other undesirable effects which may have significant effects on social well-being. While macroeconomic policies can have great impacts on health outcomes, the nature of the impacts of macroeconomic variables on health or proximate determinants of health is complex because they operate through the whole economy with significant lags. As a result of the non-availability of theoretical guidance on the appropriate measurement of health outcomes, the multiplicity of the various indicators gives rise to subjective interpretations of results. There are a number of areas where future research should focus. These include developing a better understanding of the transmission mechanism from macroeconomics policies to health outcome variables, and how macroeconomic policies can be made more effective and minimize the possible negative impacts on health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]