'Unemployment is a public health time bomb waiting to explode'

Britain is facing "a public health time bomb" amid rising social inequality, a leading researcher known for his work on social determinants of health warned today.
Sir Michael Marmot, Review Chair and Director, Institute of Health Equity said that unemployment, particularly the persistent high levels of youth unemployment, is a public health time bomb waiting to explode.
"I would say to any government that cares about the health of its population, look at the impact of their policies on the lives of people and, more importantly, at the impact on inequality. Health inequality kills. It is socially unjust, unnecessary and avoidable, and it offends the human right to health", said Professor Marmot.

Based on over three years of research by a cross-disciplinary consortium of Europe's leading scientists, the WHO regional office for Europe launched the review of social determinants and the health divide in the WHO European region, coordinated by University College London's Institute of Health Equity today.
"For the first time we have an unprecedented evidence-based set of practical policy recommendations about what all countries can do to address the so-called upstream causes of health inequities, specifically targeted to their income level", said Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
The review gives practical guidance on identifying social policies to reduce inequities in health, between and within- low, middle and high income countries. It presents compelling new region-specific economic and human-rights based evidence for why action on the social determinants of health is needed now.

"The report underlines the stubborn and tenacious nature of health inequalities across Europe. It reinforces the message that people's health is shaped by the conditions in which they live, work and age, and that action is needed to improve them", Jane Ellison, Minister of Public Health, United Kingdom said.
The report states that relative poverty in childhood strongly influences people's health and other outcomes.
Analysis of western countries reveals a huge range in child poverty rates, from 10 per cent to 33 per cent, despite higher average expenditure on family benefits.