High-quality universal public healthcare: beneficial for patients and much more

Abstract

Equity is widely accepted by the medical professions as a fundamental element of quality and providing equitable care has been included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development promoted by the United Nations.1 However, the provision of universal coverage is a necessary but insufficient requirement for achieving this goal.2 Several determinants of health have been described and the interactions among them are not a simple issue. The classical model developed by Dahlgren and Whitehead3 shows that individual lifestyles are embedded in social norms and networks, and in living and working conditions, which in turn are related to the wider socioeconomic and cultural environment. This model helps to explain the high vulnerability of the immigrant population, often attributed to social disadvantages translated into low socioeconomic status and consequently worse working conditions or housing.