Public Health, Social Work and Health Inequalities

Societal research has shown that there is a direct correlation between income disparities and health disparities. In other words: the poorer the population, the less healthy the population becomes. Over the last thirty years, there has been an increasing gap between the wealthy and poor in many industrialized societies. As a result, there has also been an increasing decline in the quality of health for these social orders. The Social Work and Health Inequalities Network (SWHIN) was created to combat the causes and consequences of socially unjust health disparities on an international basis. This is accomplished through a sustaining global network of professionals: researches, educators, practitioners, policy makers and others work together to promote research and action around the world. The SWHIN aims to exchange information and resources (e.g. research evidence, policy statements, and emerging theories and practice models) to collaborate on the development and exchange of solutions for these health issues. The hope is to teach about these problems at all curricular levels and influence policy making wherever possible. This book brings together a combination of fifteen studies and policy reviews to fully understand the role that social work plays in assisting others, especially in fields where human health is concerned.