Health is political: the role of research and advocacy

Health is inherently political . Like any resource or commodity in our neo-liberal economic system, some social groups have more of it than others. We also know that the social and commercial determinants of health – more than just individual behaviours – are amendable to political interventions.In this episode of the Dental as Anything podcast I talk about the history of expanding Medicare to include more dental services, the broader support and advocacy for schemes such as Senior Dental Benefits Scheme and the important role of research in supporting advocacy efforts.References:Australian dental practitioner attitudes to expanding Medicare to include more dental services World Dental Federation. Universal Health Coverage - Oral Health for All (Fact Sheet)What is universal health coverage?