Empowerment of individuals and communities is absolutely central. Getting the community involved in organising their own destiny has got to be a key part of it.

The brain is an important gateway by which the social environment impacts on people's health through the mind.

Your position in the hierarchy influences your behaviour.

The differences between Indigenous and not Indigenous Australians can be easily attributed not to differences in their genes but to differences in the conditions in which they're born, grow, live, work and age - in other words, to the social determinants of health.

Throwing young people on the scrap heap is a public health emergency.

The environment can actually affect gene expression.

We have to put reduction of health inequalities at the centre of our public health strategy and that will require action on the social determinants of health.