HEALTH AND DISEASE IN THE ERA OF NEOLIBERALISM

Abstract

On April 18-20, 2018, the conference Health and Disease in the Age of Neoliberalism was held in Turin by the community of sociologists of medicine, who are members of the European Sociological Association (ESA). The main topic of the conference was the influence of neoliberalism on the social constructing of health and disease, which was embodied in large-scale health care reforms, regional politics, and local medical practices. A result of the neoliberal health care approach has been increased inequality in access to medical care, increased costs of medical services, and the establishment of a direct correlation between the person's income and health condition. To solve these problems, it is necessary to establish public control over the implementation of reforms and the distribution of taxes in health care. It is also necessary to restore communication between health professionals and politicians.