In LSE Health's Annual Lecture, Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London and Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, argues that the need to reduce inequalities in health is a matter of social justice.

In developing strategies for tackling health inequalities we need to confront the social gradient in health not just the difference between the worst off and everybody else. There is clear evidence when we look across countries that national policies make a difference and that much can be done in cities, towns and local areas. But policies and interventions must not be confined to the health care system; they need to address the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.  The evidence shows that economic circumstances are important but are not the only drivers of health inequalities. Tackling the health gap will take action, based on sound evidence, across the whole of society.

Meet our speaker and chair

Sir Michael Marmot (@MichaelMarmot) is Professor of Epidemiology at UCL and Director of the Institute of Health Equity. An esteemed public health expert, he has worked with the WHO as Advisor to the Director-General on social determinants of health, served as President of the BMA and WMA, and was a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. In 2000, he was knighted for services to public health, and in 2023, was appointed a Companion of Honour in the King’s New Years honours.

Professor Larry Kramer has been President and Vice Chancellor of LSE since April 2024. A constitutional scholar, university administrator, and philanthropic leader, he was previously the President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Dean of Stanford Law School.

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LSE Health (@LSEHealthPolicy) is a world-leading multidisciplinary research centre with over 20 years of experience advancing global research in health policy and health economics.

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