ABSTRACT
One of the great challenges facing humankind in the 21st century is to make high-quality health care available to all. Such a vision has been expressed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its health-for-all strategy in the 21st century. 1 Realizing this vision will be difficult, perhaps impossible, because of the burdens imposed on a growing world population by old and new diseases, rising expectations for health, and socioeconomic conditions that have, if anything, increased disparities in health status between and within countries.
