Journal of Economic Literature
Book Reviews
2026-08-28
Sebastian Galiani of Washington University in St. Louis reviews “Beyond Survival: Protecting Households from Health Shocks in Latin America” by Cristian C. Baeza, Truman G. Packard,. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Reviews existing and new evidence on the mechanisms and magnitude of the impoverishing effects of health events and the importance of public policy to prevent such impoverishment. Discusses health care systems in Latin America and the Caribbean--functions and organization; health shocks, household welfare, and the risk of poverty; public policy's role in household perception, preparation, and protection against health shocks; the role of alternative risk-pooling arrangements; risk pooling for everyone--the challenges posed by a growing informal economy; and the quest for efficiency and universal coverage--health sector reform in Latin America and the Caribbean. Baeza is Lead Health Policy Specialist, and Packard is Senior Economist, in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region at the World Bank. Index.”