Growing health inequalities are ‘public health emergency’ warns Sir Michael Marmot
May 30, 2012 by Michael Shapcott
Sir Michael Marmot gave an impassioned presentation on the social determinants of health and how we can take action at MaRS May 29 2012
The growing gap in health between rich and poor in Canada and around the world is a “public health emergency,” warned global health equity expert Sir Michael Marmot in a major address in Toronto on May 29. Sir Michael was head of the World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health and was introduced by Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. David McKeown as a “heath equity rockstar.” Sir Michael was invited to deliver the keynote at Toronto Public Health’s annual lecture named for the city’s pioneering Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Charles Hastings, who led many public health advances – from affordable housing to pasteurization of milk – in Toronto in the years before and after the First World War.
“Health is a measure of how well we are doing as a society,” said Sir Michael. On that measure, Canada – along with most other rich nations – has a decidedly mixed record. While on average, Canadians are healthier today than they were a generation ago, beyond the averages are a steep health gradient that reveals that the wealthiest Canadians are the healthiest, with each income quintile below suffering worst health outcomes and a heavier burden of premature mortality./.../
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