Health inequality can affect lives for decades - WHO
Kyiv • UNN
Social inequality, housing, education and work affect health more than genetics. WHO calls for action to address economic inequality and discrimination.
The main causes of poor health often arise from factors outside the health sector. It is also affected by the lack of quality housing, education and employment opportunities. This is stated in a comprehensive report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), writes UNN.
Social inequality affects life expectancy
The new World Report on Social Indicators of Health Equity shows that such indicators can lead to a sharp reduction in healthy life expectancy, sometimes by decades. This is possible in both high- and low-income countries. For example, people in the country with the lowest life expectancy live on average 33 years less than those born in the country with the highest life expectancy. The social foundations of health equity can affect people's health more than genetic influences or access to medical care.
Our world is unequal. Where we are born, grow up, live, work and age has a significant impact on our health and well-being. But change for the better is possible. This global report illustrates the importance of addressing interconnected social determinants and offers evidence-based strategies and policy recommendations to help countries improve health for all.
The report highlights that health inequality is closely linked to the degree of social disadvantage and the level of discrimination. Health corresponds to a social gradient, according to which, the more impoverished the area where people live, the lower their income, the fewer years of education they have, the worse their health and the fewer years of healthy life.
This inequality is exacerbated among populations facing discrimination and marginalization. One striking example is the fact that indigenous peoples have lower life expectancy than non-indigenous peoples in both high- and low-income countries.
WHO stresses that measures to address income inequality, structural discrimination, conflict and climate change are key to addressing deep-rooted health inequalities. For example, it is estimated that climate change will push another 68–135 million people into extreme poverty over the next five years.
Currently, 3.8 billion people worldwide are deprived of adequate social protection, such as childcare/paid sick leave, which has a direct and lasting impact on their health. High debt burden is paralyzing governments' ability to invest in these services, and the total cost of interest payments made by the world's 75 poorest countries has quadrupled over the past decade.
Is it really possible to solve the problem
WHO calls on national and local authorities and leaders in health, academia, research, civil society, and the private sector to take collective action. This includes:
- addressing economic inequality and investing in social infrastructure and universal public services;
- overcoming structural discrimination and the consequences of conflict, emergencies and forced migration;
- managing the challenges and opportunities of climate action and digital transformation to promote the co-benefits of health equity;
- promoting the implementation of governance mechanisms that prioritize actions on the social foundations of health equity.
Supplement
Eurostat reported a record life expectancy in the EU – 81.4 years. The longest life expectancy is in Spain (Madrid), Italy (Trento) and the Åland Islands, and the shortest is in Bulgaria.