[Competitiveness among health and the health sector. A new look at the health economics paradigm].

Health and the health sector have a direct impact on economic growth and competitiveness. Moreover, the health sector is experiencing increasingly strong links with the economy, which reinforces the key role that health plays in the development of individuals and economies. On the one hand, in addition to its intrinsic value health constitutes an important economic good because it contributes to increasing the capacity of individuals and nations to achieve greater levels of human, economic and social development. In addition, there is a direct relationship between health as a productive sector and the economy that will become more important as world health expenditure increases and because of recent advances in the productivity of the medical sector and the technology used in providing health services. For these reasons, a better understanding of the complex relationship between health, the health sector and economic development will help to increase competitiveness and attain higher levels of growth by enabling a more efficient health system that is in turn based on a solid, fair, equitable and sufficient financial base.