Why We Need the History of Health and Medicine

Health systems around the world are at a tipping point.  Many public systems, such as the NHS, are under severe stress, brought about not only by Covid, but also by decades of under-investment and/or investment in the wrong things.  Countries that rely more on private healthcare, such as the United States, are experiencing healthcare inequalities, such that, while some people receive the best care money can buy, others can’t afford prescriptions for insulin or other essential drugs.  Health inequalities are increasing in many parts of the world, sometimes mirroring socioeconomic inequality and at other times compounded by the health repercussions of climate change, pollution and other environmental challenges.  What can be done? 

This paper argues that a starting point would be to use existing historical insights to challenge six misconceptions about health and medicine that prevent us from employing a different approach.  These misconceptions relate to how medical knowledge is created, whose ideas about health are valued, the relationship between health and the social and physical environment, and whether medicine should be seen as a commodity or a public good.  I argue that the work of historians can undermine these misconceptions, pointing us towards a new, open-minded and creative approach that shifts our focus from treating disease to preventing it.

All welcome but please register to attend: https://history-health.eventbrite.co.uk

This event has been organised by the UCL Health Humanities Centre at the Institute of Advanced Studies. The Centre draws together staff from different disciplines, departments and faculties engaged in teaching and research on matters relating to health, illness and well-being.