This paper explores the impact of six noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCCDs) on Jamaicans' decisions to retire. Using the 1991 and 1992 Survey of Living Conditions database it examines the significantly negative impact that NCCDs have on people remaining in employment. Chapters present findings that suggest the need to integrate health and labor market policies; discuss health transition and the labor market in Jamaica; give data, samples, and health measures; provide an econometric model; examine NCCDs in respect to gender and other social issues; and present sensitivity analysis on the impact of physical health status on employment.

Global Health, Third Edition (formerly titled International Public Health) brings together contributions from the world's leading authorities into a single comprehensive text. It thoroughly examines the wide range of global health challenges facing low and middle income countries today and the various approaches nations adopt to deal with them. These challenges include measurement of health status, infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, nutrition, reproductive health, global environmental health and complex emergencies.

As part of the restructuring of the educational system in 1989, the Vietnamese government implemented policy changes such as promoting the establishment of "people's" and community educational institutions, permitting the establishment of private institutions and transforming public institutions into private ones. Since Vietnam has only recently moved from a centrally planned to a market economy, private schools are still relatively rare in Vietnam. This paper examines the nature of private schooling in Vietnam using data from the 1992-93 Vietnam Living Standards Survey.

Albania provides a small amount of social assistance to nearly 20% of its population through a system which allows a degree of community discretion in determining distribution. This study investigates the poverty targeting of this program. It indicates that relative to other safety net programs in low income countries, social assistance in Albania is fairly well targeted to the poor.

Leading international researchers offer theoretical and empirical microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives on the ways a population's health status affects a country's economic growth.

This book is a reflection of the current research that explores the mechanism, dynamics and evidence of the impact of human capital on economic development and social well-being in modern China. Composed of keynote speeches and selected papers from The 2005 International Conference of the Chinese Economists Society (www.china-ces.org), it tracks the latest understanding and empirical evidence of the relationships amongst health, education and economic development in China. The book presents a broad spectrum of study topics covering human capital and economic growth; demand, attainment and disparity in both education and health; and investing in human capital and the economic and social returns in China. Distinguished contributors include Robert Fogel, Michael Grossman, Daniel Hamermesh, Gregory Chow and Dean Jamison.

In September 2001, staff from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund met with the objective of strengthening collaboration between the two organizations in projects of civil service reform. This strengthened collaboration will have key benefits in ensuring consistency between the conflicting goals of the two organizations, establishing realistic objectives within the reform process, and maintaining a core set of wage and employment data. The principal conclusion arrived at was that World Bank and IMF staff should be engaging in collaboration earlier in the reform process. To guide the collaboration, six foundations were identified. These include: develop a medium-term fiscal framework; foster national ownership by making reforms politically feasible; focus and streamline conditionality; agree on sequencing and timing of reforms; and strengthen data collection. These principals will be tested for effectiveness in several focus countries.

A poverty line helps focus the attention of governments and civil society on the living conditions of the poor. This paper offers a critical overview of alternative approaches to setting poverty lines. In reviewing the methods found in practice, the paper tries to throw light on, and go some way toward resolving, ongoing debates about poverty measurement, emphasizing those debates which would appear to have greatest bearing on policy discussions.

Produced for the annual Commonwealth Health Ministers' Meeting, the Commonwealth Health Ministers' Update 2011 is a resource for ministers on topical health priorities. The theme for the 2011 Meeting is "Non-communicable diseases - A priority for the Commonwealth." This accompanying Update provides comprehensive and essential information on the non-communicable disease epidemic: * An overview of non-communicable diseases in the Commonwealth * Prevalence reports from Commonwealth regions * How Commonwealth countries are responding to noncommunicable diseases * How to protect vulnerable groups within country populations * Case studies of key initiatives to control non-communicable diseases * The economic impact of non-communicable diseases A special reference section summarizes the latest information on non-communicable diseases in the Commonwealth and the responses by member countries.