Ensuring Global Health Equity in a Post-pandemic Economy: Words Count! Comment on “Ensuring Global Health Equity in a Post-pandemic Economy”

Abstract

The authors wholeheartedly agree with Labonté: global health equity needs radical changes in economic thinking and policies, including degrowth and reducing consumption in parts of the world. But to mobilize sufficient people for radical change, reducing overconsumption and for degrowth, we may need to stop calling it that. Language is important and using the same frames and words as our opponents do can be counterproductive. Global health advocates need to be strategic about framing, use hope-based communication and develop attractive and convincing narratives. By doing so, hopefully we can bring these messages across to larger groups of people and increase the push for social change.