PHM-Exch> Improving Equity in Health by Addressing Social Determinants

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) <ruglucia at paho.org>
crossposted from: EQUIDAD at listserv.paho.org


** ** ** **

*Improving Equity in Health by Addressing Social Determinants*

*
Edited by:*

*The Commission on Social Determinants of Health Knowledge Networks*

*Jennifer H Lee and Ritu Sadana*

*World Health Organization, Geneva – 2011*****

Available online PDF [319p.] - [1.5 MB] at: http://bit.ly/JnYFv6 ****

This recently published book highlights actions to improve health equity
based on findings from the nine global Knowledge Networks that were
established during the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health.  ***
*


Their task was to synthesize existing evidence and identify effective and
appropriate actions to improve health equity in nine thematic areas:
- globalization;
- gender;
- social exclusion;
- early child development;
- urban settings;
- employment conditions;
- health systems;
- public health programs; and
- measurement and evidence.

The evidence reinforces the fundamental impact of social determinants on
health outcomes and in creating health inequities.  ****

“… the Commission was designed to marshal this existing knowledge about
what can be done to promote health equity and by so doing to focus global
attention on the challenges of achieving greater health equity within and
between countries.”  ****

“Across the knowledge networks, there are common actions that were
identified as key to reducing inequities in health related to social
determinants: increase universal access to public education, establish a
minimum living wage, improve social protection, and reduce discrimination
based on gender, race, ethnicity, etc.”****

“A rigorous understanding of the distribution of health outcomes and
opportunities across socioeconomic groups is an essential tool for
policy-makers to appropriately and effectively tailor interventions that
address patterns of health inequity.”****

“Effective action to address the social determinants of health requires us
all to rethink dominant understandings of the way in which population
health is improved and health inequities reduced.” ****

The chapters communicate that in order to address the underlying causes of
health inequities, multiple and sustained action across sectors are
required and provide recommendations for doing so.  ****

** **

“……The report by the Commission on Social Determinants of Health represents
a watershed moment in public health. It marks the first systematic and
truly comprehensive attempt to draw together data and evidence on social
determinants that is pluralistic and diverse methodologically, empirically
and theoretically. It is a rallying cry for political action in support of
the action against those elements which do so much damage to human health,
and it is an important signpost for action political and scientific…..****


……Recently, WHO convened a global conference in ****Rio de Janeiro**, **
Brazil**** to build support for the implementation of action on social
determinants of health. The conference provided a global platform for
dialogue on how to implement the recommendations from the Commission's
report on all socioeconomic groups and at rate of improvement that
increases at each step down the socioeconomic ladder.****

** **

….. At the conclusion of the conference, 125 participating Member States
adopted the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health
pledging to work towards reducing health inequities by taking action across
five core areas related to the evidence synthesized across this book: ****


1) Adopt better governance for health and development;
2) Promote participation in policy-making and implementation;
4) Strengthen global governance and collaboration; and
5) Monitor progress and increase accountability (WHO, 2011).****


……The evidence compels action and the momentum generated by the Rio
Declaration confirms that it is imperative for all to act to reduce health
inequities…”****

** **

*Contents*

*Preface*

*1. Strengthening efforts to improve health equity
*    *Ritu Sadana, Sarah Simpson, Jennie Popay, Daniel Albrecht, Ahmad Reza
Hosseinpoor and Tord Kjellstrom*****

*2. Globalization: the global marketplace and social determinants of health*
    *Ted Schrecker and Ronald Labonté*****

*3. Gender inequity in health*

*     Gita Sen and Piroska Östlin*****

*4. Social exclusion and health inequalities: definitions, policies and
actions*
   *Jennie Popay, Sarah Escorel, Mario Hernández, Heidi B. Johnston, Jane
Mathieson and Laetitia Rispel*****

** **

*5. Early child development: a powerful equalizer
*    *Arjumand Siddiqi, Emily Hertzman, Lori G. Irwin and Clyde Hertzman****
*

*6. Urban settings: our cities, our health, our future
*   *Jostacio Lapitan, Jennifer H. Lee and Tord Kjellstrom*****

*7. Employment and working conditions as health determinants
*    *Joan Benach and Carles Muntaner with the EMCONET*****

*8. Challenging inequity through health systems
*    *Lucy Gilson, Jane Doherty and Rene Loewenson*****

*9. Reducing health inequities through public health programmes*
    *Erik Blas and Anand Sivasankara Kurup*****

*10. Measuring the social determinants of health: theoretical and empirical
challenges*

*                       Josiane Bonnefoy, Antony Morgan, Emma Doohan,
Jennie Popay, Johan Mackenbach and Michael P. Kelly*****

*11. The way forward: acting on the evidence and filling knowledge gaps
*       *Jennifer H. Lee and Ritu Sadana*
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