Title: Globalisation, inequality and health

Authors: Simone Borghesi, Alessandro Vercelli

Addresses: Department of Political Economy, University of Siena, Piazza S. Francesco, 7, 53100 Siena, Italy. ' Department of Political Economy, University of Siena, Piazza S. Francesco, 7, 53100 Siena, Italy

Abstract: As we suggested in a previous work (Borghesi and Vercelli, 2003), the process of globalisation affects the sustainability of development mainly through three channels: economic growth, inequality and environmental degradation. This conceptual framework may help us to understand also the causal influence of globalisation on health that represents a fundamental dimension of the quality of life enjoyed by the people and of sustainability. For this purpose, the present paper aims to investigate both the direct and the indirect effects of post-war globalisation, with particular attention to the role played by inequality in the globalisation-health relationship. A few policy implications emerging from the analysis are also discussed, suggesting a policy strategy that can at the same time improve health and make the current globalisation process more compatible with sustainable development.

Keywords: globalisation; inequality; health; sustainable development; economic growth; environmental degradation; quality of life.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2004.005286

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2004 Vol.4 No.1/2/3, pp.89 - 108

Published online: 19 Sep 2004 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article