The Deadly Ideas of Neoliberalism : How the IMF Has Undermined Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS

"The Deadly Ideas of Neoliberalism explores the history of and current collision between two of the major global phenomena that have characterized the last 30 years: the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases of poverty and the ascendancy of neoliberal economic ideas. The book explains not only how IMF policies of restrictive spending have exacerbated public health problems in developing countries, in particular the HIV/AIDS crisis, but also how such issues cannot be resolved under these economic policies. It also suggests how mounting global frustration about this inability to adequately address HIV/AIDS will ultimately lead to challenges to the dominant neoliberal ideas, as other more effective economic ideas for increasing public spending are sought. In stark, powerful terms, Rowden offers a unique and in-depth critique of development economics, the political economy dynamics of global foreign aid and health institutions, and how these seemingly abstract factors play out in the real world - from the highest levels of global institutions to African finance and health ministries to rural health outposts in the countryside of developing nations, and back again."--Publisher's description. About the author 3 Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 10 Part One | Emergence of HIV/AIDS and the Global Response 16 Introduction 18 1 | The History of Global Funding to Fight HIV/AIDS 22 2 | The Impact of the AIDS Response on Public Health Systems 34 3 | The Shortage of Healthcare Workers and the ‘Brain Drain’ Problem 38 The ‘brain drain’ problem 42 4 | The Debate over ‘Vertical’ versus ‘Horizontal’ Donor Aid 47 5 | Different Types of Health Systems, Different Types of Financing 49 Hitting a wall: why can’t public health finance be increased? 55 Part Two | The Neoliberal Development Model 58 Introduction 60 6 | The Reagan Revolution, Structural Adjustment and The Washington Consensus 62 Origins of the IMF and the World Bank: the Bretton Woods conference of 1944 62 1950 to 1980: decolonization 65 The 1980s: the Reagan Revolution and neoliberalism 71 The debt crisis, structural adjustment programmes and the Washington Consensus policies 74 7 | Neoliberal Theory and its Policies 80 8 | The Consequences for Development 87 Monetarism and its consequences 105 Financial liberalization and its consequences 116 Central bank independence (CBI) 122 Anti-deficit radicalism and its consequences 123 Trade liberalization and its consequences 129 Labour flexibility and its consequences 134 Consequences for agriculture and food security 143 The consequences for development 146 Part Three | Consequences for Health 151 Introduction 152 9 | The Demise of Public Health and the Rise of Neoliberalism 153 10 | The Consequences for Health 162 11 | Thirty Years Later: Coming Full Circle – Rediscovering Public Health 169 12 | The IMF: Blocking Progress on Public Health 179 The IMF’s wage-bill ceilings 201 Health repression 213 Conclusion: What is Development? 216 Bibliography 220 Index 245 The Deadly Ideas Of Neoliberalism Explores The History Of And Current Collision Between Two Major Global Phenomena Of The Last Thirty Years: The Spread Of Hiv/aids And Other Diseases Of Poverty And The Ascendancy Of Neoliberal Economics. The Book Explains Not Only How Imf Policies Of Restrictive Spending Have Exacerbated Public Health Problems In Developing Countries, In Particular The Hiv/aids Crisis, But Also How Those Problems Cannot Be Resolved Under Such Policies. In Stark, Powerful Terms, Rowden Offers A Unique, In-depth Critique Of The Political Economy Of Global Foreign Aid And Health Institutions.--page 4 Of Cover. Introduction -- [pt.] 1. Emergence Of Hiv/aids And The Global Response. The History Of Global Funding To Fight Hiv/aids -- The Impact Of The Aids Response On Public Health Systems -- The Shortage Of Healthcare Workers And The 'brain Drain' Problem -- The Debate Over 'vertical' Versus 'horizontal' Donor Aid -- Different Types Of Health Systems, Different Types Of Financing -- [pt.] 2. The Neoliberal Development Mode. The Reagan Revolution, Structural Adjustment And The Washington Consensus -- Neoliberal Theory And Its Policies -- The Consequences For Development -- [pt.] 3. Consequences For Health. The Demise Of Public Health And The Rise Of Neoliberalism -- The Consequences For Health -- Thirty Years Later : Coming Full Circle--rediscovering Public Health -- The Imf : Blocking Progress On Public Health. Rick Rowden. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [211]-235) And Index.

'The Deadly Ideas of Neoliberalism' explores the history of and current collision between two of the major global phenomena that have characterized the last 30 years: the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases of poverty and the ascendancy of neoliberal economic ideas. The book explains not only how IMF policies of restrictive spending have exacerbated public health problems in developing countries, in particular the HIV/AIDS crisis, but also how such issues cannot be resolved under these economic policies. It also suggests how mounting global frustration about this inability to adequately address HIV/AIDS will ultimately lead to challenges to the dominant neoliberal ideas, as other more effective economic ideas for increasing public spending are sought.In stark, powerful terms, Rowden offers a unique and in-depth critique of development economics, the political economy dynamics of global foreign aid and health institutions, and how these seemingly abstract factors play out in the real world - from the highest levels of global institutions to African finance and health ministries to rural health outposts in the countryside of developing nations, and back again.

This book explores the relationship between the spread of HIV/AIDS (among other diseases of poverty) and neoliberal economic ideas. It explains not only how IMF policies have exacerbated public health problems in developing countries, but also how mounting global frustration will ultimately lead to challenges to the dominant neoliberal ideas, as other more effective economic ideas are sought. In stark, powerful terms, Rowden offers a unique and in-depth critique of development economics, global foreign aid and health institutions, and how these seemingly abstract factors play out in the real world -- from the highest levels of global institutions to African finance and health ministries to rural health outposts of developing nations, and back again.