Social Determinants, Capabilities and Health Inequalities: A Response to Bhugra, Greco, Fennell and Venkatapuram

Abstract

Doctors know about health—it is what you lose when you have disease. And they know about disease—it is what happens when you have disordered pathology. People interested in prevention know about health—ill-health can be prevented by behaving better and avoiding the evils of drink, drugs, overweight and unsafe sex. Health policy people know about health—it’s what you spend money on when funding and organising health services. Economists and social policy people also know about health—it is what you must spend money on, they mean health services when they say “health,” in order to get more productive and richer individuals and societies.