CLEAR VILLAGE’s thoughts on the Marmot Review on Health Inequalities in the UK
When thinking about health inequalities and their causes, one would immediately guess that these are only related to unhealthy behaviour like smoking, eating junk food, drinking alcohol or not doing any kind of sports. So might the former Secretary of State for Health have thought when he asked Professor Sir Michael Marmot of University College London to chair an independent review to propose the most effective evidence based strategies for reducing those health inequalities.
Marmot looked much deeper to find causes and found evidence that there is a strong link between health and social status of people living in England. For example, he states that the lower people’s social position the lower their life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy; even in our developed society. He further discovered that the more deprived areas are in which people live in, the more environmental conditions can be found that in turn burden people’s health and well-being immensely. One can imagine that this has an immense impact on UK’s economy as there are, simply said, years of life avoidably lost to society.
But how can we get rid of health inequalities?
First of all, Marmot suggests to not only look at economic growth as the sole measure of social success. Climate change has the worst impact on the poorest and most vulnerable; therefore a holistically observed well-being must be a more important societal goal to create a fairer society.
How do we do that? CLEAR VILLAGE completely agrees with the Marmot Review: all actions must be taken to create a sustainable future for everyone. Fostering sustainable local communities, active transport, healthy food and zero carbon houses are not only desirable goals, they help to flatten the social gradient hence are inevitable to diminish health inequalities.
We aim to create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities, we are right at the heart of activities to create a fairer and healthier society. We cannot proof it yet, but we have a strong support from the Review, as this goal is one of its six policy recommendations.
Read CLEAR VILLAGE’s summary and angle on health inequalities, download here.
Download the full Marmot Review.
COLIN FIRTH 
