HEALTHCARE INEQUALITIES

Healthcare Inequality: A Social Dilemma

[Writer's Institution]

Healthcare Inequality: A Social Dilemma

Introduction

Many people dying on a yearly basis in Europe due to health inequalities that would have otherwise been able to live 1.3 to 2.5 million years extra (Marmot, 2010, p. 15). In today's world, an individual's social and economic conditions determine the very concept of how they live their lives. These conditions not only influence how an individual behaves, the choices they make, but they also have a vast effect on their accessibility to different amenities, environments, and services. These conditions are great determining factors for whether the individual is able to stay healthy, avoid certain diseases, receive quality care from healthcare practitioners, , and the personal approach they take in dealing with particular health conditions (Law, 2011, p. nd). The distribution and quality of health is determined by a various range of individual, community, and national factors. There is evidence indicating disparities in the access to healthcare and distribution of care both internationally and the United Kingdom (PHAST, 2011, p. nd).

The disparities in health between individuals, groups, and the population are known as healthcare inequalities. These inequalities can be reduced in society with a greater understanding of how economic, environmental, and social conditions have an affect on an individual's life, their behaviour, and the quality of care they receive (Law, 2011, p. nd). For example, the difference in mortality rates between individuals from different social classes is a form of health inequality. Health inequalities occur due to different reasons, for instance, some inequalities are a result of the individual such as biological variations while others are due directly to environmental conditions outside of the control of the individual. While in the first reason, little can be done to change these circumstances, however, in the second reason the inequality may be avoidable, unfair, and unjust (WHO, 2013, p. nd).

Discussion

The Marmot Review

In the Marmot Review, Fair Society, Healthy Lives written by Sir Michael Marmot, it is stated that “Health inequalities result from social inequalities. Action on health inequalities requires action across all the social determinants of health” (Marmot, 2010, p. 15). This review directly focused on the health inequalities resulting from social inequalities in England. According to the review, action which can be taken to deal with health inequalities will require an across the board action on all social determinants of health. According to Sir Marmot, there is a social gradient in which the lower an individual's social standing is in society, the worse their health is and actions must be taken to reduce this divide in health. However, concentrating solely on the most underprivileged individuals may not result in that great of an effect and therefore a reduction in the steepness of the social divide is more necessary. This reduction can come about by taking action in six different regions:

•Giving each child the best start in life

•Giving individuals the ability to maximize their potential and control their lives

•Fair employment and work conditions

•Healthy standard of living for all

•Developing healthy and sustainable communities

•Developing ...