The 19 papers that were submitted as evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Chaired by Sir Donald Acheson.

This book investigates issues related to health inequality with a particular interest on developing countries. It provides rigorous empirical work on both trends and causal factors behind health inequality, analyzes the implications of health deprivations on poverty traps and suggests practical policies which can be implemented.

This paper shows how value judgments can be explicitly recognized in measuring health ineqalities between the poor and the better-off, and how such inequalities can be included in assessments of countries' health indicators.

There is a growing sense that the "health gap" between socioeconomic groups is getting worse in many countries. To address this gap, conceptual clarity and empirical evidence are needed along with a greater focus on equity in policy-making. This book is designed to present cutting-edge research and policy analysis to a wide non-specialist readership of students, professionals and policy-makers. It brings together in one volume new perspectives on the conceptual foundations of health equity, empirical evidence on the scale and nature of he inequities in health in twelve countries around the world, and assessments of the associated policy developments and their implications for the future. It aims to help build global capacity to measure, monitor and interpret developments in health equity at a national and international level. The in-depth country analyses draw on epidemiology, demography, economics and other fields to approach health inequalities from several different angles. The topics covered range from adolescent livelihoods in Tanzania to the health burden of indigenous peoples in Mexico, from health equity in Japan to the gender gap in life expectancy in Russia. The book is a unique demonstration of global cooperation in bringing together and giving equal weight to work on health equity carried out in the southern and northern hemispheres.

This book brings together two important discussions in public health in developing countries: an understanding of the burden of disease, health equity and social determinants of health; and biomathematical models, epidemiological studies and estimation of the direct and indirect cost of disease. The empirical chapters in the first part discuss aspects of disease prevention and health promotion in developing countries, with a particular focus on countries that are part of the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region and the African Region. Health equity and social determinants of health constitute a cornerstone of this book, with the widespread recognition that addressing the social determinants of health is crucial not only for improving general health but importantly for reducing unfair and remediable health inequalities. Using mathematical models, epidemiological studies and statistical estimation of costs, the second part of this book shows the opportunities that exist for developing countries to prevent disease and promote health by adopting cost-effective strategies and cost–benefit analyses.

Explores the moral dilemmas posed by disparities in health across nations

This collection of both classic writings and more recent articles in the sociology of health and illness includes a number of different perspectives on health and illness.

A groundbreaking exploration of contemporary global inequality by leading scholars from across the world.

This book begins by exploring some of the circumstances surrounding the distinctive health inequities currently facing many developing countries, including malaria, maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS. This is followed by a discussion of how matters of physical access and human resource issues and, perhaps most importantly, the challenges of financing, together shape the access and utilization of health care. Examining how the environment interacts to influence the health of the people that live there, the next section includes discussion around challenges of food (in)security, and the importance of clean and uncontaminated water for health. Finally, the book explores the influence of globalization on health, specifically within the urban environment, against the backdrop of global health policy.