Health Care Expenditures Associated With Pollution: Exploratory Methods and Findings

Conclusions These conditions have historically received less attention by national governments, international public health organizations and development/financial agencies than infectious disease and maternal/child health sectors. Other studies posit that intangible costs associated with environmental pollution include lower productivity and reduced income – components which our models do not attempt to capture. The financial and health impacts are substantial even when we exclude intangible costs, yet it is likely that in many LMICs poor households simply forgo medical treatment and lose household income as a result of man-made environmental degradation. Recommendations When evaluating the value of public health or environmental programs which prevent or limit pollution-related illness, policy makers should consider the health benefits, the tangible cost offsets (estimated in our models) and the opportunity costs.
Source: Annals of Global Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: research