Inequality Kills Us All: COVID-19’s Health Lessons for the World

Since the pandemic, the lifespan of the average American has dropped by nearly two years - an unprecedented decline unseen since World War II. But even before Covid-19, U.S. health steadily declined relative to other countries. The complex answer to why the U.S. does so poorly in health measures has at its base one pervasive issue: the U.S. has by far the highest levels of inequality of all the rich countries.

Inequality Kills Us All details how economic and social inequality leads to poorer health and higher mortality, and how living in a society with entrenched hierarchies increases the negative effects of illnesses for everyone. The antidote must start, Stephen Bezruchka recognizes, with a broader awareness of the nature of the problem, and out of that understanding policies that eliminate these inequalities: A fair system of taxation, so that the rich are paying their share; support for child well-being, including paid parental leave, continued monthly child support payments and equitable educational opportunities; universal access to health care; and a guaranteed income for all Americans. The aim is to have a society that treats everyone well - and health will follow.