Social inequalities in health: The need for a new concept of health

Resumé

In this paper, we discuss how the World Health Organisation’s concept of health can direcly or indirectly function as a cultural determinant of health and increase or maintain social inequalities in health. This goes against the sustainable development goals of the United Nations and accentuates a need to replace or complement the existing health definition. The paper concludes with what an alternative definition should include.