Despite shortcomings the plans in this report deserve strong support

Macroeconomics and Health, a provocative report from the World Health

Macroeconomics and Health,a provocative report from the World Health Organization, is a dramatic call for action from both rich countries and poor countries.1 The report emphasises the linkage of avoidable disease to poverty and argues that investmentsin health are fundamental to and perhaps a prerequisite for economic development. The report proposes a massive increase in funding for health in the poor countries, with a fivefold increase in support from wealthy countries and at least a doubling from the poor countries themselves.

The key recommendation is for the world's poor countries to work in partnership with high income countries to scale up their health systems to provide access for all to a limited number of essential health interventions. Although emphasising the partnership of the poor with the rich, the report is primarily an advocacy document addressed to the donor nations. It requests the high income countries to resolve “that lack of donor funds should not be the …