With a specific focus on commercial practices, Professor Friel discussed the entrenched power inequities that ensure little effective political and policy attention is given to transform the consumptogenic system and act in the interests of human and planetary health. She explored the ideational, institutional and structural factors that have enabled the pervasive fetishism of market-forces, financialization, hyperglobalization, deregulation, and individualism, which entrench an exponential growth model, consumptogenic economic interests, and an individualised model of health. 

The talk concluded with a discussion of ways to recalibrate these power inequities such that planetary health equity goals are at the forefront of policy and action. Professor Friel highlighted the role of compelling narration of alternative ideas, strategic use of institutional processes, and social mobilization among like-minded and unusual bedfellows. 

Dr Walsh and Prof McCartney outlined exactly what has changed in relation to health inequalities over the period, and importantly what has driven those changes. On the journey to understanding where we are now and how we got here, they looked back at what the trends showed 20 years ago when Scotland’s health divergence from Western Europe (and Glasgow’s divergence from other UK cities) was becoming clearer, and discussed the detailed, comparative, UK and international research that followed. Bringing the talk to the present, they outlined the most recent, deeply concerning, trends which have seen a new form of inequality emerge, and which urgently require concerted action to prevent these worsening further.

The seminar will be Chaired by award-winning journalist, Dani Garavelli, who was joined by a small panel of respondents.

Twenty-years on, attendees have heard from over 100 speakers on topics as diverse as neuroscience, the economy, epidemiology, and psychology, and from leading thinkers in what have at times been new and emerging areas, seeking innovative responses to health inequalities (including early years, resilience, racism, complexity and systems thinking). Subsequently, many of these have become mainstays of our approaches.

We are using our 20th series as an opportunity to take collective stock of how the world, the city, economy and society have changed over the years. What are the new sources of challenge, hope and response and where to next for improving health and tackling inequality? 

This opening seminar in series 20, Glasgow 2003 to Glasgow 2023, will hear perspectives from across key city sectors. Professor Chik Collins, Director of GCPH, will ask them, ‘what’s changed and what now?’ 

Find out more at www.gcph.co.uk/events/226

Drawing upon their timely book ‘The Role of Charity and Poverty in Advanced Welfare States’, Andrew and Cameron will pose critical questions in this seminar about the value and role of charity in contemporary society. Charity, in the form of voluntarily giving one’s time and resources to care for and support people, is unambiguously seen as an individual virtue and a sign of a flourishing and caring society. Voluntary support and ground up action can represent a social good and direct benefit to people receiving help. These charitable acts, however, can let governments off the hook, can benefit the giver more than the receiver, and can divert attention and momentum from the structural change required to prevent poverty.

The speakers will seek to both identify the limitations of charity to people in receipt of it and outline how it can be a source of significant social good through facilitating systematic transformation to contribute towards a more just society.

There is widespread recognition in policymaking that population health improvement requires a combined effort across policy domains to tackle the structural determinants of health. Indeed, when it comes to policymaking, there have been positive developments in Scotland and addressing health inequalities is a clear and distinct policy priority. However, despite this, progress has not matched local and national ambitions for Scotland to be a fairer and healthier nation. So why is this the case, what more is needed, and how can this be turned around?

In this seminar, Kezia will share her unique insights and knowledge having experienced both sides of policy development – as a former Scottish Member of Parliament and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, and now in academia, in her role as Director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service at the University of Glasgow. Kezia will explore this ‘implementation gap’, using examples from her longstanding interest in and work on housing/homelessness and with care experienced young people.

This presentation addressed priorities for research, education, and practice agendas in the post-COVID-19 world.

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.

Putting care at the core of our economic model is part of the healing from Covid-19. The pandemic has exposed the fragmented and under-resourced care infrastructure along with the extant of underlying inequalities particularly experienced by women, disabled people, and people of colour. Angela outlined how a caring economy delivers on equality, sustainability, and wellbeing, and offers a coherent approach to public investment and the allocation of public finance.