Abstract: | Developing countries account for 84 percent of world population and 93 percent of the worldwide burden of disease; however, they account for only 18 percent of global income and 11 percent of global health spending. Limited resources and administrative capacity coupled with strong underlying needs for services pose serious challenges to governments in the developing world. This paper analyzes health spending, health outcomes, and health delivery system characteristics for the six developing regions of the world as well as for low-, medium-, and high-income country groupings. |