Ethics of the social determinants of health
Ethics of the social determinants of health Journal Article
The Lancet
Abstract: Research over several decades has identified social inequalities in health, both between and within countries.1–3 This research has prompted some countries to pursue strategies to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health,4–7 although these initiatives have not been without controversy.8–11 Such efforts have fuelled the debate over the relative contributions of health determinants and how to weight and direct public policies that affect health.12–17 The debate centres on the tension between the need to account for the impact of health determinants outside the health-care system (social determinants of health) and the need to balance health as an objective with other valuable social ends (in other policy domains).