Dysfunctional Societies: Why Inequality Matters

For the second lecture in our Global Health Series Prof Richard Wilkinson talks about his ground-breaking work, shedding light on the nature of inequality and poverty and why some societies do better than others

Inequality kills. Deaths from stress-related diseases, accidents, murders and drug and alcohol abuse are all markedly higher in countries with pronounced income inequality. Even within a single corporation, death rates from heart disease among those at the bottom can be three times higher than among those at the top.

Professor Wilkinson’s work has shown that societies with smaller gaps between the rich and poor have better health than those with greater inequality. His findings help explain why the United States, the richest and most powerful country in the world, ranks behind other rich countries (and a few poorer ones) in nearly all the indicators of health and well-being.

Prof Wilkinson has been researching the social determinants of health and health inequalities for over 25 years and is the author of the bestselling Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality. He is well known for his fascinating lectures and if you enjoyed our first Global Health Series Lecture with Dr Jonathan Kaplan then you should definitely attend this evening!!

Entry is FREE and open to all!

Register to tell a friend about this lecture.

Comments

If you would like to comment about this lecture, please register here.

©2003-2006 Niminim Limited. Created by

Any ad revenue is entirely reinvested into the Lecture List's operating fund