title: When are health inequalities a political problem?
abstract: Is it possible to define criteria by which a political decision on which inequities in health should be addressed can be made? It has been suggested that differences which are unnecessary and avoidable and those which are unfair and unjust are inequalities which should lead to political action. In the article it is argued that it is not possible to make a clear distinction between avoidable and unavoidable differences, and that the extent to which differences are considered unfair depends on political and normative standpoints, and generally acceptable criteria can therefore not be established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. s.vallgarda@pubhealth.ku.dk
authors.forename: Signild
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vallgårda
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D015984:Causality; D002755:Choice Behavior; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D011057:Politics; D011203:Poverty; D011634:Public Health; D012924:Social Conditions; D012935:Social Justice; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors