Why People Get Sick

About the Book

So much of health is rooted in what is collectively known as social determinants of health. It means the conditions and environment in which people are born, grow, live, interact, work and age. People with disadvantaged backgrounds often face barriers to good health. This means they get sick more easily, and it is harder for them to recover. To build awareness and understanding of these issues and experiences, this anthology of stories - real, relatable, from Asia, by Asia – aims to make an impact, that each story will be a discovery, that they will move you, as they illustrate how health inequities are shaped by a multitude of intersecting factors. If you are wondering why people get sick, and some more than others, I invite you to pick up this book and welcome you to a journey of discovery.

About the Author

Clive TAN is a medical doctor and a public health specialist. He’s also an explorer, a teacher, a researcher, a daydreamer, a doer, a writer, a poet, a husband, and a father to three – Alexis, Matthias, and Avery. He’s a left brainer who’s discovering his right brain, and is fascinated by architecture’s duality, and wishes to learn more about how architecture can be applied to imagine and build better health systems of the future. Putri Widi SARASWATI (they/she) is an Indonesian intersectional feminist, a global public health specialist, and a medical doctor. One of their biggest dreams is to contribute to the integration of intersectional feminist perspective into shaping health – including the recognition of power dynamics that can determine one’s health status and access to care, and by actively tackling inequity created by imbalance of power relations in the health sector. They are also a convener and collaborator for matters related to social justice and global health equity, celebrating equitable collaboration more than competition. Eaint Thiri THU is a researcher, fixer and documentary producer specialized in conflicts and human rights in Myanmar. She is also a storyteller, dancer, calligrapher and restaurant owner. Growing up in the conflict society and under military dictatorship, she believes that hope, imagination and dedication are pivots to create a better system in the future.