It is time for public health to contribute to a world where disability is not merely accommodated but uplifted.
A key theme of my writing has long been the question of what health, fundamentally, is. Is health just the ability to treat disease? Or is it the creation of a world where everyone can access the resources—the dignity and material assets—that support health? I argue that health is the latter, that a healthy world is one that is maximized to allow as many people as possible to flourish and thrive. In many ways, we have made remarkable strides towards the creation of such a world. People are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. We have shown greater willingness to address the inequities that underly health gaps, recognizing the historic injustice that often informs these inequities. Yet the continued existence of health gaps reflects the reality that our progress has not gone far enough, that there are still areas, and many, where we are falling far short of where we should be.
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