On Health Inequalities

Brian Smedley, blogging at Health Affairs Blog, notes:

This shift among scholars, policymakers, health foundations, and advocates to focusing on social and economic determinants of health is the most important development in efforts to eliminate health inequality. It will receive a big push as a new four-part documentary, “Unnatural Causes,” produced by an award-winning team at the California Newsreel, is aired on many national public television stations this spring and as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America rolls out a series of programs and events that will focus attention on socioeconomic health gradients.

Indeed.  It's fascinating -- mere months ago, I could quite justifiably bemoan the lack of attention paid among health policy stakeholders to the SDOH, but this has literally exploded just in the last month or so.  Should we take credit?

(Kidding!)

Of course, I agree wholeheartedly with Smedley, as readers of this blog might well surmise.  Regarding Unnatural Causes, I will have much more to say in the coming weeks, and will also have the opportunity to meet and converse with the producers in the next few weeks.  I will try to find out if they are interested in more blogospheric exposure . . . 

Comments

[ASA]

This great film is reflective of an exciting and growing movement! Be sure to visit www.unnaturalcauses.org for resources, information, and show clips.

[Courtney]

A Seattle based group generating dicussions around the social determinants of health (we are also using UnNatural Causes as a tool to generate dialogue)--Population Health Forum: http://depts.washington.edu/eqhlth/

[Daniel S. Goldberg]

Courtney, thanks for the hat-tip!