, “social injustice is killing people on a grand scale.”

"Medicine and surgery are just failed prevention"

 “If we could do something about prevention, we could empty the hospital wards”

“why treat people…without changing what makes them sick?” It’s a question that many countries find hard to answer.

 While healthcare costs continue to grow, so too does the health gap between rich and poor. Some countries are bucking the trend. Sweden, Mexico, and Cuba get special mention.

"We should all call for governments around the world to tackle inequality by investing in early child development, and to make their provisions “universal and generous.”

advice to health professionals is to work on three fronts—providing universal access to good quality care, collaborating with other sectors such as transport and social services, and understanding and measuring outcomes.

Still feeling powerless? You may find inspiration in Iona Heath’s review of Amartya Sen’s new book The Idea of Justice (doi:10.1136/bmj.c659). Heath applauds Sen’s challenge to all those sitting complacently on “the winning side” of social injustice. She also finds support for primary care’s insistent focus on the person rather than their illness. Which leads me to Kieran Sweeney. In a moving obituary (doi:10.1136/bmj.c733) he is honoured for honouring patients above their diseases.