An agenda-shaping look at the human costs of financial crisis--the culmination of ten years' work by two pioneering researchers Politicians have talked endlessly about the seismic economic and social impact of the Great Recession, but many continue to ignore its disastrous effects on human health and have even exacerbated them by adopting harsh austerity measures and cutting key social programs at a time when citizens need them most. The result, as pioneering public health experts David Stuckler and Sanjay Basu reveal in this provocative book, is that many countries have turned their recessions into veritable epidemics, ruining or extinguishing thousands of lives in a misguided attempt to balance budgets and shore up financial markets. Yet sound alternative policies could help improve economies and protect public health at the same time. In The Body Economic, Stuckler and Basu mine data from around the globe and across history to show how government policy becomes a matter of life and death during financial crises. Through a series of case studies stretching from the United States in the 1930s to Russia and Indonesia in the 1990s and present-day Greece, Britain, Spain, Canada and America, Stuckler and Basu reveal that political mismanagement of financial crises has resulted in a grim array of human tragedies, including suicides, HIV infections, West Nile Virus and tuberculosis epidemics. Yet people can and do stay healthy, and even get healthier, during downturns. During the Great Depression, U.S. death rates actually plummeted, and today, people in Iceland, Norway and Japan are happier and healthier than ever. Full of shocking and counterintuitive revelations and bold policy recommendations, The Body Economic offers an alternative to austerity--one that will prevent widespread suffering, both now and in the future.
Two public health researchers prove that the recent economic crises around the world have had calamitous effects on people's health, citing increases in suicide rates, HIV transmissions, alcohol abuse and heart disease during times of bad fiscal policy.
Recessions can hurt . . . but austerity kills In The Body Economic, Dr. David Stuckler and Dr. Sanjay Basu provide hard evidence to reveal the tragic human toll of the ongoing recession worldwide. From a rise in alcoholism in the UK to scores of suicides in California to HIV outbreaks and abandoned children in Greece, the book tells the stories of people who were not bailed out and who are now bearing the brunt of the 2007 stock-market crash. The authors argue that this suffering is not inevitable. Based on a decade of groundbreaking research stretched across five continents, The Body Economic shows how key public health decisions can affect the impact of financial crises for better or for worse. Urgent and provocative, The Body Economic draws attention to a growing area of "recession medicine." It speaks to a hopeful audience, not only providing evidence of the realities of recession and illness but also presenting illuminating case studies of resilience and creative response to difficult conditions. The authors show that recession can provide opportunities to tackle long-standing public-health problems in surprising new ways, paving the way for a happier and healthier future.
Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and are expected to increase over the coming years with the ageing population and improved medical treatments that reduce mortality but cause the sufferer to live with a long-term illness. This book provides the first comprehensive review of the topic.
Politicians have talked endlessly about the seismic economic and social impacts of the recent financial crisis, but many continue to ignore its disastrous effects on human health—and have even exacerbated them, by adopting harsh austerity measures and cutting key social programs at a time when constituents need them most. The result, as pioneering public health experts David Stuckler and Sanjay Basu reveal in this provocative book, is that many countries have turned their recessions into veritable epidemics, ruining or extinguishing thousands of lives in a misguided attempt to balance budgets and shore up financial markets. Yet sound alternative policies could instead help improve economies and protect public health at the same time. In The Body Economic, Stuckler and Basu mine data from around the globe and throughout history to show how government policy becomes a matter of life and death during financial crises. In a series of historical case studies stretching from 1930s America, to Russia and Indonesia in the 1990s, to present-day Greece, Britain, Spain, and the U.S., Stuckler and Basu reveal that governmental mismanagement of financial strife has resulted in a grim array of human tragedies, from suicides to HIV infections. Yet people can and do stay healthy, and even get healthier, during downturns. During the Great Depression, U.S. deaths actually plummeted, and today Iceland, Norway, and Japan are happier and healthier than ever, proof that public wellbeing need not be sacrificed for fiscal health. Full of shocking and counterintuitive revelations and bold policy recommendations, The Body Economic offers an alternative to austerity—one that will prevent widespread suffering, both now and in the future.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.