PHA-Exchange> China: the intersections between poverty, health inequity, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS

[Claudio]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern at coombs.anu.edu.au>


http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC22325&resource=f1hiv

China: the intersections between poverty, health inequity, reproductive 
health and HIV/AIDS
Rural Chinese women most vulnerable to weak health systems

Kaufman, J. / Gender and Health Equity Network (GHEN) , 2005

This article, featured on the GHEN (Gender, Health and Equity Network) 
website, outlines how the
intersections between poverty, health inequity and reproductive health, 
including HIV, affect rural
women in China. The author argues that chronic and long term underinvestment 
in the health sector
has created a public health crisis in China today. The weakened health 
system intersects with
poverty and gender inequity which erodes women’s right to basic health 
services. At the same time,
as family planning programmes move away from their historically coercive 
practices (one child per
family policy), the health system is increasingly unable to maintain basic 
access to provide for
maternal health or the new challenges to women’s health posed by HIV.

The author outlines how in recent years, there has been a shift back towards 
social investment in
health and education. However, despite acknowledgements of rural health 
inequities, efforts to
overhaul the health insurance system have focused on financing for curative 
care and most attention
in health reform has been focused on the “for profit” hospital system. 
Weaknesses in the public
health system and prevention services continue to receive little attention. 
The author warns that
this will not address the many health threats to poor, rural Chinese women. 
[adapted from author]

Download full text: 
http://www.ids.ac.uk/ghen/resources/papers/KaufmanChinaHealthSystem.pdf