Promoting social justice in the capitalist academy? Health equity and the Johns Hopkins University Michael Bloomberg School of Public Health

Abstract

The past two decades have seen increasing mentions of health equity and the importance of addressing the social determinants of health in USA public health statements. Yet, there is little uptake of these concepts into USA public policy. We see this, in part, as being due to the unwillingness of the USA public health community – including its network of Masters of Public Health Programs – to address the fundamental cause of health inequities: the United States’ capitalist economic system which skews the distribution of the social determinants of health in favour of the wealthy and powerful. We illustrate this reluctance by examining how the Bloomberg School of Public Health of Johns Hopkins University conceptualises the promotion of health equity through its International Declaration of Health Rights. Nothing in the Declaration considers how the economic system threatens health yet it is presented as a model for public health education. We review its shortcomings and show how revision to it is unlikely since the School is endowed by its namesake billionaire Michael Bloomberg who has denounced any attempts at redistributing wealth and income in the service of public health. Evidence of how public health messaging is already shaped by powerful economic interests embedded within the United States’ capitalist system substantiates concerns that have been raised about such branding and its effects on public health discourse and action.