The 100-person birthday party of Hong Weimin, deputy to the National People's Congress, broke out a scandal in which several senior officials and parliamentarians openly challenged the SAR government's call for epidemic prevention, making people question whether they think they are healthier than ordinary citizens, so they can violate the requirements of restaurants and can refuse Using "Safe Travel", you can take off your mask and communicate at close range.
Although it is not pleasing to the ears, the stark reality is that many powerful people are indeed much “healthier” than the general public, because factors such as wealth, power, and status will all dominate the distribution of social resources, and differences in karma will inevitably affect the individual’s well-being. Health status, resulting in Health Inequality.
In Hong Kong, where the capitalist system is implemented, "health inequality" is a concept that is difficult to draw attention to, because for many people, "health" is their own business, and "inequality" refers to social status and resource allocation. There seems to be no connection between the two - I believe that the SAR government is also reluctant to admit that personal health is affected by social factors, otherwise Hong Kong rulers will need to take responsibility for this; however, "health inequality" is real Problems that exist and seriously threaten different classes will cause physical and psychological harm to people through resource differences in eating habits, living environment, work conditions, and other scenarios.
Based on this, some scholars have called out that society needs to change urgently, because "social injustice (social injustice) is killing people on a large scale."
Part 3 of a series of in-depth reports on "Health Inequality"
For details, please read the 301st issue of the "Hong Kong 01" e-weekly report " The life of the poor is also the life of the poor
" published on January 24, 2022. Social injustice deprives health and equity
.
Click here
to try out the weekly e-newsletter and read more in-depth reports.
Health inequality. 1 | The life of the poor is also life. Don’t let social injustice deprive health and fairness
Health inequality. 2 | Intergenerational poverty perpetuates health injustice. Who should be responsible for the physical and mental health of the next generation?
Health inequality. 3 | Longevity is a "punishment" under health inequality
The research of Michael Marmot pointed out that from the top of the society to the bottom of the society, the lower the status, the worse the health, (Getty)
The first "Health Equity Report" in Hong Kong published earlier by the Institute of Health Equity at CUHK shows that the injustice in the distribution of social resources will lead to inequalities in health.
(Photo courtesy of CUHK Institute of Health Research)
Zhong Yinuo believes that the "Deprivation Indicator" is a more accurate measure of poverty.
(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
Because of the long working hours, many people find it difficult to cook "home meals", and more often choose to go out to eat or take out instead.
(Getty)
Li Zijun pointed out that in Hong Kong, the lower the median household income in the region, the shorter the average life expectancy in the region.
(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)