Impact of global economic crisis on health - WHO Report

To address the growing concerns about the potential impact of the financial and economic crisis on global health, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan convened a high-level consultation on 19 January 2009. Based on evidence from previous economic crises, the consultation aimed to:

- build awareness of the possible ways in which an economic downturn may have impact on health spending, health services and health outcomes;
- make the case to a wider audience for sustaining investment in health; and
- identify actions -- including monitoring of early warning signs -- that can help mitigate the negative impact of economic downturns.

The background document and the key meeting points can be found at the following link:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/meetings/2009_financial_crisis_report_en_.pdf