PHA-Exch> Action on Health Disparities in the United States

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) <ruglucia at paho.org>
crossposted from: EQUIDAD at listserv.paho.org


 *Action on Health Disparities in the United States*

*Commission on Social Determinants of Health *

* *

*Michael G. Marmot, FRCP; Ruth Bell, PhD *

International Institute for Society and Health and Department of
Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, England.
Dr Marmot was chair of the World Health Organization Commission on Social
Determinants of Health, 2005-2008.
Dr Bell is a senior research fellow at University College London and was a
member of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health Secretariat**

*Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA..  **Vol. 301 No. 11,
March 18, 2009     *

* *

Available online at:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/301/11/1169?etoc#REF-JCO90020-1

* *

“……..Here are 2 truisms. *Rich countries have better health than poor
countries, and medical care improves health*. Consider, then, the case of
the United States, which is among the richest countries in the world and
spends more than any other country on medical care, US $6350 per person in
2005.1 Does the United States then have the best health?



Not quite. Life expectancy from birth to age 65 years is one useful measure
of premature mortality: the United States ranks 36th in the world for men
and 42nd for women.2 If not by greater national income or more spending on
medical care, how should the task of improving health in the United States
be approached?
Pay attention to the social determinants of health. ….”
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