The ethics and politics of addressing health inequalities

Social determinants of health are responsible for a large proportion of disease which disproportionately affects deprived population groups, resulting in striking disparities in life expectancy and quality of life. Even systems with universal access to healthcare (such as the UK's NHS) can only mitigate some consequences of health inequalities. Instead substantial societal measures are required both to reduce harmful exposures and to improve standards of housing, education, work, nutrition and exercise. The case for such measures is widely accepted among healthcare professionals but, in wider discourse, scepticism has remained about the role of government and society in improving life chances along with the belief that responsibility for health and wellbeing should rest with individuals themselves. The stark inequalities exposed by the coronavirus pandemic could be an opportunity to challenge this thinking. This paper argues that doctors should do more to persuade others of the need to address health inequalities and that to achieve this, it is important to understand the ethical and philosophical perspectives that are sceptical of such measures. An approach to gaining greater support for interventions to address health inequalities is presented along with reflections on effective political advocacy which is consistent with physicians’ professional values.