To keep health as a unifying force, we must put resources into tackling health misinformation and disinformation - The Lancet

Health is political. This is what many practitioners of public and clinical health believe. Health and health policy are shaped by the political ideology of governments, whether that means more money to invest in health systems or less regulation on health-harming products. Health can also cut across political lines because health is a universally shared value. Everyone wants their loved ones to be healthy, so framing societal issues as health issues can draw people from across the political spectrum to advocate for change and policies. The health community has had successes using this strategy with, for example, the climate crisis and gun violence. Framing climate change in the context of its health implications has helped make it a more accessible and tangible topic to many people.1 Framing gun violence as a public health issue assisted in the topic becoming less politicised in some countries.2 But in recent years health has been the subject of unprecedented polarisation, begging the question: is health no longer a unifying force, but a dividing one?