

Degrowing Healthcare | Martin Hensher
8 snips Jul 24, 2025
Martin Hensher, a health economist and Professor of Health Systems Sustainability at the University of Tasmania, discusses the urgent need for a degrowth model in healthcare. He critiques the current system's overconsumption and its environmental impact, linking healthcare practices to ecological sustainability. Hensher warns about the dangers of unnecessary medical interventions and emphasizes balancing essential care with resource limits. He also highlights how cultural contexts, like the Penan tribe's experience, challenge traditional healthcare access, urging a transformation to benefit both people and the planet.
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Healthcare's Dual Impact
- Healthcare benefits people greatly but can also harm health if overused.
- Excessive healthcare consumption at individual and societal levels may cause net harm.
Overprescription in Healthcare
- Rachel experienced overprescription in French healthcare with multiple drugs prescribed unnecessarily.
- This revealed how pharmaceutical company influences can drive excessive drug prescriptions.
How Much Healthcare Is Enough?
- Basic healthcare needs vary by context and exposure to ecological and social factors.
- Chronic diseases and aging complicate how much healthcare individuals truly need.