Wednesday, June 28, 2006

The Determinants of Mortality

The Determinants of Mortality: "Is there a universal theory of mortality that can explain improvements over time, differences across countries, and differ-ences across groups? The authors argue that 'knowledge, science, and technology are the keys to any coherent explanation,' perhaps controversially downplaying the role of income. As for the future, they predict that an acceleration in the production of new knowledge and treatments is likely to increase inequality in health outcomes in the short run, but the silver lining is that 'help is on the way, not only for those who receive it first, but eventually for everyone.'"