Health

Focus

• 1
  

  OECD Health Care Quality Reviews

  These regular reviews seek to examine what works and what does not work in different countries – both to benchmark the efforts of countries and to provide advice on reforms to improve their health system.

• 2
  

  The Economics of Prevention

  There is a rising concern in OECD countries about the expected growth in the burden of chronic diseases such as obesity and alcohol consumption. This project is primarily focused on whether efforts should be made to prevent non-communicable diseases rather than treating and managing them.

• 3
  

  Health Workforce

  Health workers are crucial for ensuring access to high-quality care. The OECD examines different aspects of health workforce policy, including how countries can ensure that doctors practice where they are most needed, whether health workers put their skills to effective use in their jobs, and analyse recent trends in health worker migration.

• 4
  

  Mental Health

  The large costs mental ill-health generates for people, families, workplaces and society as a whole is a growing concern for OECD governments. The OECD is looking at (i) mental health care policies and reforms, (ii) the link between mental ill-health and work, (iii) health care quality aspects, and (iv) the impact of education, skills and mental ill-health.

• 5
  

  Health Inequalities

  Despite remarkable progress in health status and life expectancy in OECD countries over the past decades, there remain large inequalities not only across countries, but also across population groups within each country. The OECD analyses to what extent the principle of equal access to health care is achieved and how to help reduce these inequalities.