ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the evidence that disease rates and disease risk, vary in a highly predictable way with economic characteristics and social characteristics. It deals with the relationship between the economic and social conditions of a country and the health and welfare status of its inhabitants. This relationship supports and extends the groundbreaking work of Thomas McKeown and establishes a view of the ‘good society’, the type of society that promotes good health. The chapter discusses the relationship between the individual’s economic and social characteristics and his or her risk of disease. So far the social class inequalities reported have been for death rates, the Black Report expanded this to report differences in morbidity. Morbidity is a term for ill-health. The chapter considers two possible responses to the problems posed by health inequalities. The first of the two strategies may be called the behavioural modification strategy. The second will call the socio-political strategy.
