How equal is our health?
Right now, there are unfair and avoidable differences in people’s lives and health. Coventry is working together as a city to tackle the issues and improve outcomes for residents.
The number of years a person can expect to live is affected by many different and important factors in their daily lives. The quality of people’s health and wellbeing is not just down to things like health conditions or health behaviours. The early childhood years, our education, the conditions we work and live in, and how much money we have, all play a big part in the quality of our health. These factors are called the social determinants of health. Everybody can play a part in improving the social determinants of health.
Some people experience childhoods with more educational opportunities than others. Some people do not live in warm and affordable homes throughout their lives. Others have better access to jobs and a sense of belonging in their communities. These are examples of how people experience the social determinants of health differently, and they have a significant influence on health and wellbeing. Unfair and avoidable differences like these lead to unequal health, often called health inequalities. This means that some people live shorter lives, and in worse health than they should for more of their lives.
In 2010, the Fair Society Healthy Lives report also called the Marmot Review, concluded that we must work together to improve the social determinants of health and reduce health inequalities (1). To make this change happen, actions must be targeted in the right ways. Professor Sir Michael Marmot, who chaired the report, champions proportionate universalism. This means that by making sure that help and support are universal and proportionate to how much people need, we will all live healthier and more equal lives. One example in Coventry is the Job Shop, which offers support to all job seekers and provides additional support to groups facing more employment barriers (1). This is key to the Marmot approach.
This approach can help individuals, organisations, and societies improve people’s health. The Marmot Review highlighted some key areas of policy where improvements must be made. These key areas are the Marmot Principles below.
- Give every child the best start in life.
- Enable children, young people, and adults to maximise capabilities and have control over their lives.
- Ensure a healthy standard of living for all.
- Create fair employment and good work for all.
- Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities.
- Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention.
- Tackle racism, discrimination, and their outcomes.
- Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together.