Gestor bibliográfico Crisis y Salud

Conditions common in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as poor housing, inadequate sanitation, child labour and unsafe work practices, are now far less common and life expectancy has increased enormously in all European countries. Beveridge's 'Five Giants' of want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness 1 persist, albeit in ways less immediately obvious. The medical profession has always been concerned with improvements in levels of health and reduction of illness and disability. The profession must not shy away from advocating political messages. We must continue to criticise and comment on policies that have been shown to do harm as, for example, Virchow in Silesia 2 and Sir John Simon in England 3 have done in the past.