Health inequalities (the differences in health between the rich and the poor) are growing wider in the United Kingdom. That’s the sobering news in the latest status report from the UK Department of Health titled “Tackling Health Inequalities” (released on March 13, 2008).
Sir Michael Marmot, recognized as one of the leading global experts on the social determinants of health, says that there are some encouraging signs in the midst of the overall bad news.
The problem is not with the timelines or the indicators that the government has adopted to measure its progress in reducing health inequalities, according to policy experts, including Professor Danny Dorling of the University of Sheffield. He says that inequalities are now at “unprecedented levels” and that the government needs to commit the resources and show the political will to tackle the growing burden of health inequalities.