Agenda

There is ample empirical evidence that better socio-economic conditions are statistically associated with better health. This is true at the population level as well as at the individual level, and is robust to different measures of socio-economic conditions, and to different measures of health. This series of 6 lectures aims to provide an introduction to socio-economic inequalities in health, and their potential causes.

The lectures start by some empirical evidence on the “health gradient”, both at macro and micro level, and then raise some hypothesis about the potential pathways that could explain such empirical evidence. A better understanding of the causal relationships at work also provides valuable information about the social and economic determinants of health, and about the social and economic consequences of health. (lectures 1 and 2)

The next two lectures are devoted to the link between population health and economic growth (as well as crises and booms). Long run trends indicate a positive association between economic development and population health. Since human welfare is based upon economic well-being as well as upon health, how does a global view of economic development affect the image of growth? Moreover, economic crises have ambiguous effects on mortality, physical and mental health. (lectures 3 and 4)

The last two lectures will briefly review some recent literature about health inequalities and the covid19 crisis. A mortality gradient across income groups has been documented in several countries, and lectures will focus on Belgium and France. Covid19 induced mortality risk is the combination of infection risk, risk to develop a severe case, and risk to die from the severe case, some of which are also documented. (lectures 5 and 6)

Prof. Pierre-Yves Geoffard
Paris School of Economics
geoffard@psemail.eu