Framing and the politics of public health: an examination of competing health narratives in Honduras.

According to the World Bank, Honduras is a health and development success story. Over the past few decades, it has experienced economic growth, expanded public health infrastructure, and improved key health indicators. However, these achievements do not serve as evidence of success for global public health agencies, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). The WHO has identified Honduras as a 'priority country' due to extreme levels of poverty, inequality, indebtedness, and poor health. What accounts for these divergent evaluations, and what are their consequences for vulnerable and marginalised populations? I argue that the framing of health is important and demands examination because it reveals political dynamics and shapes policy options. Furthermore, individual frames are incomplete, differentially inclusive, and ultimately inadequate as explanatory and analytic frameworks.