Dean Baker at Beat the Press argues that the U.S.A. could fix its health care system by outsourcing its health care to countries that have more efficient health care systems.
The CGD recently reported that by the year 2000, approximately 65,000 African-born physicians and 70,000 African-born professional nurses were already working in developed countries. That figure is much higher now.
The WHO estimates that in Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, a quarter or more of all physicians have been imported from other countries.
And this in a context where the Americas have 10% of the global burden of disease and 42% of the health workers. Sub Saharan Africa has 3% of the health workers and 25% of the burden of disease (WHO data).
If ‘outsourcing the healthcare system’ means that the U.S. and Europe will suck even more trained health professionals from poor countries, perhaps they should rather consider fixing its own health systems.
: 
: 
: 
Dean Baker has responded to our post. And we responded to his response. Follow the discussion at: http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/beat_the_press_archive?month=04&year=2008&base_name=what_makes_spending_the_proble&20