I wonder how we might break the link between wealth and health?

Speaker(s):

Emilie McSwiggan, University of Edinburgh

Abstract:

We pay for poverty with years of our life. In patterns seen within and between countries, people with less money and fewer resources tend to have poorer health & shorter lives than their wealthier counterparts, with differences that can span years or decades. This seems a fundamental injustice which demands action. Through this wondering, I want to explore: Are health inequalities inevitable, for as long as wealth inequalities exist? If so, what does that mean for those of us working in public health and related fields, in terms of what issues we put our energy and resources into resolving? Or if this link is not inevitable, what could we be doing better now, so that money matters much less for people's life chances? And what are the ethical issues at stake, in either way of approaching this challenge?