Health reform is still a hotly debated topic–and not just in the United States.

Denny Vågerö, a professor of medical sociology, visited St. Edward’s University Oct. 27 to discuss the growing health care disparities between and within nations.

Vågerö’s talk was part of the Kozmetsky Center lecture series, which focuses on a different global issue each month.

Vågerö’s lecture, titled “Closing the global and national health gaps – can it be done in a generation?” focused on the changes necessary to raise health standards, as well as some world organizations that are working to implement these changes.

Vågerö, the founder of the Centre for Health Equity Studies, has researched the social determinants of health and how to close the health divide for the World Health Organization.

“It’s not possible with business as usual,” Vågerö said, adding that nations must make some drastic changes.

One of the strategies for creating change is the Millennium Development Goals. Created by the United Nations, the goals, according to its website, “form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s development institutions.”

Vågerö emphasized the fourth millenium goal, which is to reduce mortality in children under age five by two-thirds by 2015.

However, this goal is falling short, Vågerö said. In the country of Sierra Leone, for example, 316 children out of 1,000 live births will not reach their fifth birthday.

“What an enormous waste of human life, isn’t it?” Vågerö said.

Currently, out of 68 monitored countries, 16 are on track, 40 are making progress but not enough, and 12 have even higher infant mortality rates, he said.

Another organization dedicated to raising awareness about health inequality is the Commission on Social Determinants of Health, a part of WHO.

“Reducing health inequities is, for (CSDH), an ethical imperative,” said Vågerö, who once worked as a commissioner for the CSDH. “Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale.”

While Vågerö said this might seem to be a harsh conclusion to some, he maintained that, with a global effort, this did not have to be true. One way to solve this, Vågerö said, is through “slum upgrading.”

Slum upgrading is the process of attempting to ensure that each impoverished home is given clean water, a sewage system, and electricity. Currently, one billion people live in poverty and, in 25 years, the number will increase to two billion, according to WHO data.

The number of people living in poverty, Vågerö said, could be curbed through slum upgrading. He added that the cost to do so on a global scale would be $100 billion.

“You realize what a small amount this is when the recession hit, and the U.S. government put up billions of dollars to save banks,” Vågerö said.

He pointed to organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, both of which provide relief to countries in debt that can’t afford luxuries, such as a high standard of health care.

Health inequality, Vågerö said, is not confined to the slums of India or Kenya. The U.S. also has social factors influencing life expectancy. People below the federal poverty level typically live six-to-seven years less than people four times above that level.

Vågerö also discussed global governance, which would address flaws contributing to health inequality. This would include making changes in the UN, reform of the World Bank and IMF, more funding for the WHO, the creation of international laws, and involvement of universities.

“We can afford the change,” he said. “Growing health gaps between and within countries show a non-sustainable development. We know enough to make a difference.”