Review of Social Determinants and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region

Review of Social Determinants and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region PDF

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 9789289000321

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The WHO European Region has seen remarkable health gains in populations that have experienced progressive improvements in the conditions in which people are born, grow, live and work. Inequities persist, however, both between and within countries. This review of inequities in health between and within countries across the 53 Member States of the Region was commissioned to support the development of the new European policy framework for health and well-being, Health 2020. Much more is understood now about the extent and social causes of these inequities. The European review builds on the global evidence and recommends policies to ensure that progress can be made in reducing health inequities and the health divide across all countries, including those with low incomes. Action is needed on the social determinants of health, across the life-course and in wider social and economic spheres to achieve greater health equity and protect future generations.

Interim First Report on Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region

Interim First Report on Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region PDF

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 35

ISBN-13:

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Although health has improved for many people, there are major inequalities in health - within and between countries - across the WHO European Region. Evidence shows that these inequalities should be mostly avoidable and has significant human and economic costs. Unless action is taken, the gap between and within countries will increase. The WHO Regional Office for Europe commissioned a regional review of the health divide and inequalities in health from July 2010 to 2012 in order to inform the new health policy for the Region. The first phase of the review is assessing levels of inequalities in health across the European Region and identifying the barriers to and opportunities for reducing these. The final report on this phase will be completed in December 2010. An interim report, for which this is the summary, has been prepared for discussion in September 2010. The interim report also describes the subsequent stages and content of the rest of the review.

Review of Social Determinants and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region

Review of Social Determinants and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region PDF

Author: Michael Marmot

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789289000307

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The WHO European Region has seen remarkable health gains, though inequities persist both between and within countries. Much more is understood now about the extent and social causes of these inequities, particularly since the 2008 report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. This review of inequities in health across the 53 Member States of the Region was commissioned to support the development of the new European policy framework for health and well-being, Health 2020. It builds on the global evidence and recommends policies to reduce health inequities and the health divide across all countries, including those with low incomes. The report is presented in four parts. Part I provides the context and background to the review, and sets out the key principles underpinning the recommendations and the rationale for grouping them into four broad themes: life-course stages, wider society, the broader macro-level context, and governance, delivery and monitoring systems. Part II summarizes current evidence on the magnitude of the health divide among European Region countries, describing the inequities in health and their social determinants. Part III focuses on the four themes, making recommendations with supporting evidence. Part IV outlines the implementation issues, summarizes the framework for action, discusses reasons for failure, provides guidance on good practice and summarizes the review's conclusions and recommendations. The review is a wake-up call to political and professional leaders alike, an opportunity for them to facilitate the work of those dedicated to improving health outcomes and narrow the health gap between and within the countries of the Region.

Communities in Action

Communities in Action PDF

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-04-27

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 0309452961

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In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Oxford Textbook of Creative Arts, Health, and Wellbeing

Oxford Textbook of Creative Arts, Health, and Wellbeing PDF

Author: Stephen Clift

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 0199688079

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There is growing interest internationally in the contributions which the creative arts can make to wellbeing and health in both healthcare and community settings. A timely addition to the field, this book discusses the role the creative arts have in addressing some of the most pressing public health challenges faced today. Providing an evidence-base and recommendations for a wide audience, this is an essential resource for anyone involved with this increasingly important component of public health practice.

Key Policies for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequities

Key Policies for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequities PDF

Author: Centers of Disease Control

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2017-09-27

Total Pages: 92

ISBN-13: 9289052651

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Evidence indicates that actions within four main themes (early child development fair employment and decent work social protection and the living environment) are likely to have the greatest impact on the social determinants of health and health inequities. A systematic search and analysis of recommendations and policy guidelines from intergovernmental organizations and international bodies identified practical policy options for action on social determinants within these four themes. Policy options focused on early childhood education and care; child poverty; investment strategies for an inclusive economy; active labour market programmes; working conditions; social cash transfers; affordable housing; and planning and regulatory mechanisms to improve air quality and mitigate climate change. Applying combinations of these policy options alongside effective governance for health equity should enable WHO European Region Member States to reduce health inequities and synergize efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Inequality

Inequality PDF

Author: Anthony B. Atkinson

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2015-05-11

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 0674287037

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Inequality and poverty have returned with a vengeance in recent decades. To reduce them, we need fresh ideas that move beyond taxes on the wealthy. Anthony B. Atkinson offers ambitious new policies in technology, employment, social security, sharing of capital, and taxation, and he defends them against the common arguments and excuses for inaction.

The Health Gap

The Health Gap PDF

Author: Michael Marmot

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2015-09-10

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1408857987

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'Punchily written ... He leaves the reader with a sense of the gross injustice of a world where health outcomes are so unevenly distributed' Times Literary Supplement 'Splendid and necessary' Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm, New Statesman There are dramatic differences in health between countries and within countries. But this is not a simple matter of rich and poor. A poor man in Glasgow is rich compared to the average Indian, but the Glaswegian's life expectancy is 8 years shorter. The Indian is dying of infectious disease linked to his poverty; the Glaswegian of violent death, suicide, heart disease linked to a rich country's version of disadvantage. In all countries, people at relative social disadvantage suffer health disadvantage, dramatically so. Within countries, the higher the social status of individuals the better is their health. These health inequalities defy usual explanations. Conventional approaches to improving health have emphasised access to technical solutions – improved medical care, sanitation, and control of disease vectors; or behaviours – smoking, drinking – obesity, linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. These approaches only go so far. Creating the conditions for people to lead flourishing lives, and thus empowering individuals and communities, is key to reduction of health inequalities. In addition to the scale of material success, your position in the social hierarchy also directly affects your health, the higher you are on the social scale, the longer you will live and the better your health will be. As people change rank, so their health risk changes. What makes these health inequalities unjust is that evidence from round the world shows we know what to do to make them smaller. This new evidence is compelling. It has the potential to change radically the way we think about health, and indeed society.