|
|
Article: THE GROWING HEALTH GAP: Greatest threat to our health is economic inequality
- Article from:
- CCPA Monitor
- Article date:
- December 1, 2007
- Author:
-
|
Copyright informationCopyright Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Dec 2007/Jan 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
What is the No. 1 public health threat facing the people of Canada? Most Canadians would probably cite smoking, poor diet, pollution, AIDS, or government underfunding. But none of these factors, though serious, is the greatest threat to our health. The No. 1 threat is increasing economic inequality.
Economic inequality is the degree to which wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small minority of citizens, as opposed to being distributed equitably across the population.
Scientific studies have found that people live longer and healthier in nations with an equitable distribution of income.
Even within nations, economic inequality is related to health. The most unequal American cities and ...