## The First Wealth

_IMF Blog, December 8, 2014_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [The First Wealth](https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2014/12/08/the-first-wealth)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/blogs/articles/2014/12/08/the-first-wealth/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/blogs/articles/2014/12/08/the-first-wealth/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/blogs/articles/2014/12/08/the-first-wealth/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Jeff Hayden
- Published: December 8, 2014

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### Overview
- Title: The First Wealth
- Author: Jeff Hayden
- Publication date: December 8, 2014
- Central premise: "The first wealth is health," a quotation attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson (1860), framing health as the foundation for individuals, communities, and economies.

### Health disparities and major challenges
- Humanity has made significant advances: development of vaccines and medical techniques, and increased access to clean water and sanitation.
- Persistent and stark disparities:
  - A 38-year gap in life expectancy between Japan (83 years) and Sierra Leone (45 years).
- Contemporary reminder of vulnerability:
  - As the December issue went to press, the world was dealing with the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus on record.

### Health systems and the economics of health
- Focus on health systems as "the amalgam of people, practices, rules, and institutions that serve the health needs of a population."
- Role of good health in economic mobility:
  - David E. Bloom underscores the role good health plays in an individual’s or household’s ability to rise, or stay, above the poverty line.
- Public health spending trends and analysis:
  - Victoria Fan and Amanda Glassman examine the shift in public health spending from central governments to states and cities.
  - Benedict Clements, Sanjeev Gupta, and Baoping Shang analyze whether the recent slowdown in public health spending in advanced economies is permanent.

### Contributions and frontline perspectives
- Reports from practitioners and leaders:
  - Health ministers from Colombia and Rwanda discuss major challenges they face.
  - The CEO of a pharmaceutical company describes impediments to developing drugs to fight emerging diseases.
- Special feature: consideration of four major health threats of the 21st century.

### Additional content in the issue
- Profile: Maureen Burke profiles 2012 Nobel Prize winner Alvin Roth.
- Visual feature: "Picture This" offers insight into an increasingly urbanized world.

### About the IMFBlog
- IMFBlog purpose: a forum for the views of IMF staff and officials on pressing economic and policy issues of the day.
- IMF context: The IMF, based in Washington D.C., is an organization of 191 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation and financial stability around the world.
- Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF and its Executive Board.

*Source: IMFBlog page "The First Wealth" (December 8, 2014).*

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## References

- [Finance and Development](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/index.htm)
- [the role good health plays](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/bloom.htm)
- [the shift in public health spending](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/fan.htm)
- [the recent slowdown in public health spending](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/gupta.htm)
- [health ministers from Colombia](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/gaviria.htm)
- [Rwanda](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/binagwaho.htm)
- [impediments to developing drugs to fight emerging diseases](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/nacy.htm)
- [four major health threats of the 21st century](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/jonas.htm)
- [2012 Nobel Prize winner Alvin Roth](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/people.htm)
- [Picture This](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2014/12/picture.htm)

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2014/12/08/the-first-wealth_