Public health and macroeconomic policy: Examining indirect effects of public macroeconomic policies on public health

Description:

Governments can affect public health in a variety of direct ways. However, what is less well understood is the indirect ways that government policy can affect public health. For example, while direct spending on public health provision should increase the health of a population, other policies that change income distributions, affect private debt or generate unemployment might harm health. On the other hand, there may be policies such as educational policy that can have spill over benefits for health.

This PhD would examine these indirect effects of public macroeconomic policies on public health so policymakers can better understand the full effects of public policy on public health. The specific topic(s) of the PhD can be agreed between the candidate and supervisors, but topics could include the interaction between public health (as measured by mortality or morbidity) and income inequality, differences in the relationship between education and public health across developed or developing economies, the impact of private debt on public health, etc.