Heroes Not Zombies

A recent report in the U.K. focused on prevention rather than cure. It proposes a “pre-NHS Service” to deliver mass vaccination programmes coupled with blood tests including cholesterol levels and genetic testing to get “at risk” people to start taking lifetime drugs and changing their eating and exercise habits.

Although this is promoted as innovative, visionary and “personalised”, I can’t help feeling such an approach ignores the importance of the environmental and socio-political factors which underpin population health and well-being.

There’s something about a lifetime of drugs just doesn’t feel right to me – this is really a definition of “health”? You’re not healthy, you’re just not sick yet. You’re pre-sick and that needs drug treatment.

There’s another thread to this approach – the underplaying of the importance of emotions. We are not simply “rational” creatures. We are emotional and social creatures with rational capabilities. We process the world, first, emotionally and socially…then we try to rationalise our experiences.

Fear and despair lie at the core of much chronic illness and poor health. They charge up inflammation, damage immunity and can contribute to both ageing and cancer.

At a population level, poverty, job insecurity, poor housing, pollution, industrialised highly processed foods and climate change all contribute to massive insecurity which feeds both fear and despair.

So, if we really want to invest in prevention, it’s not a “pre-NHS” we need, it’s political and social action to reduce poverty and inequality. It’s work to improve the daily workplaces, and the job contracts which most people live with. It’s better housing, better insulation and less polluted air and water. It’s more respect for others, more kindness and care, more autonomy and acceptance. And, and, and……

In other words I think we need to put in the energy and resources to create better societies, and healthier environments. That way we create the conditions which can benefit everyone, not just those who sign up for a lifetime of drugs.