A comparative analysis of health care costs in three selected countries: the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia

Health care delivery in Malaysia: changes, challenges and champions

Since 1957, there has been major reorganization of health care services in Malaysia. This article assesses the changes and challenges in health care delivery in Malaysia and how the management in health care processes has evolved over the years including equitable health care and health care financing. The health care service in Malaysia is changing towards wellness service as opposed to illness service. The Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH), being the main provider of health services, may need to manage and mobilize better health care services by providing better health care financing mechanisms. It is recommended that partnership between public and private sectors with the extension of traditional medicine complementing western medicine in medical therapy continues in the delivery of health care.

Infectious diseases mortality in central Serbia

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine the influence and the effect of the war in the former Yugoslavia and of the United Nations economic sanctions on mortality from infectious diseases.

DESIGN

This was a descriptive study analysing mortality data time series.

SETTING

Central Serbia, Yugoslavia.

PARTICIPANTS

The population of central Serbia was the subject of the study (about six million inhabitants).

MEASUREMENTS

Mortality rates were standardised directly, using the "European population" as the standard. Regression analysis and analysis of covariance were undertaken.

MAIN RESULTS

During the period 1973-93, mortality from infectious diseases showed a decreasing trend. From 1987-90, and infectious diseases was significantly higher than expected on the basis of the trend for the preceding period (p = 0.020 and p = 0.00). In addition, there was a statistically significant departure from the preceding trend (p = 0.036) in men between 1991 and 1993 (the period of the war and UN sanctions)--the main effect being in younger age groups.

CONCLUSION

The economic crisis in the former Yugoslavia during the 1980s followed by the outbreak of the war and the damaging effects of UN economic sanctions had a distinctly adverse effect on mortality from infectious diseases.