Summary
Attending the Africa Bitcoin Conference in Ghana led the author to realize that money is a public health issue. Centralized fiat money can negatively impact health outcomes due to debt, inflation, and financial stress. Bitcoin offers a decentralized alternative that could improve public health by providing a stable store of value. Public health professionals should advocate for recognizing debt-based money as a health issue and promote discourse on Bitcoin to protect citizens’ access to a better monetary system.
Key Points
1. Money is a public health issue, as centralized fiat money can lead to debt, corruption, and lack of transparent rules, impacting public health outcomes.
2. Public health professionals should advocate for better money, such as Bitcoin, to improve the base layer of population health and address the root cause of socioeconomic issues.
3. Public health advocacy should focus on educating about the history of money, naming debt-money as a public health issue, and promoting public discourse on Bitcoin to protect decentralized systems and improve health outcomes.