Preface
In November 1991, with support from the Office of Health of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Committee on Population, in collaboration with the Board on International Health of the Institute of Medicine, organized a workshop to discuss the changing demographic and epidemiologic profiles of developing countries and responses from the health sector to these changes. The Workshop on the Policy and Planning Implications of the Epidemiological Transition in Developing Countries was held November 20–22, 1991, at the National Academy of Sciences’ Georgetown facility in Washington, D.C. This report includes ten of the papers presented during the workshop.
The workshop covered three broad topics related to the epidemiological transition. First, participants considered the issue of projecting realistic scenarios of the populations and cause-of-death structures of developing countries, as well as discussed health over the life course. Second, the workshop turned to the mechanisms used to establish priorities in the allocation of health resources in response to the changing demographic and epidemiologic profiles. Particular attention was given to the appropriate use of data in establishing priorities. The third topic was the role of government, private medicine, and families in providing health services.
The committee wishes to thank the Office of Health of the U.S. Agency for International Development for supporting this workshop. A planning meeting, at which the foundation for the workshop was developed, was attended by Julio Frenk, Charles Griffin, Connie Carino, Gerald Rosenthal, Davidson Gwatkin, Marguerite Pappaioanou, and Pamela Johnson, as well
as others mentioned below. The workshop participants were responsible for the commissioned papers, presentations, and discussion that took place. Anne Pebley and Dean Jamison facilitated the discussion by chairing parts of the workshop.
The committee is grateful to Linda Martin, Director of the Committee on Population, Polly Harrison, Director of the Division on International Health, and Petra Reyes, Deputy Director of the Applied Research Division, Office of Health, U.S. Agency for International Development, for their time and effort in developing the workshop. The committee also wishes to thank James Gribble who coordinated the workshop activities. Joan Montgomery Halford provided the logistical and administrative work for the workshop. Florence Poillon copy edited this volume, and Paula Melville and Elaine McGarraugh assisted in its publication.
SAMUEL H.PRESTON, Chair
Committee on Population
