From traditional welfare economics to the Capabilities Approach and the relevance of equity in health to human development

Abstract :

Given the importance of broadening the vision of economy based on the maximization of utility and income, this article aims at incorporating the concept of equity in health and its importance in the economic discussion on human development, through a literature trajectory that begins in the traditional welfare theory and arrives at the Capabilities Approach. The association of economics, through the Capabilities Approach, and the area of public health, via discussion of the social determinants of health, allows this work to contribute to the definition of important concepts for studies on equity in health. The conclusion is that the multidimensionality present in concepts of human development and equity in health allows for a rich discussion in terms of assessment of living standards in economics.

Keywords :
human development; health equity; the capability approach; economics of welfare; Amartya Sen