China: Increasing Health Gaps in a Transitional Economy

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Abstract
China's outstanding health achievements before the 1980s and rapid economic growth over the past decade are well documented. Less well known, however, is the impact of the transition from a socialist to a market economy on overall health development and equity in health and health care. This chapter presents an analysis of inequities in health in China, covering inter-regional and gender inequities in adult life expectancy at an individual and an ecological level. It addresses the overarching question of whether economic growth has yielded improved health status for all, or only for some. The chapter ends with a consideration of the policy implications of their findings.