WHO-Reports on social determinants for health

The Department of Ethics, Equity, Trade and Human Rights of WHO launched a WHO publication series devoted to the social determinants of health.  The series will explore themes related to strategy, governance, tools and capacity building for addressing the social determinants of health to improve health equity. Papers will also include reviews of country experiences.

•     The report “Action on the Social Determinants of Health: learning from previous experiences” is available here

•     The report “ A Conceptual Framework for Action on the Social Determinants of Health” is available here

•     The report “ Monitoring Social Well-being to Support Policies on the Social Determinants of Health: the case of New Zealand's "Social Reports/Te Purongo Oranga Tangata" is available here

The Department of Ethics, Equity, Trade and Human Rights is currently working on a second set of papers, to be published immediately prior to the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 19-21 October 2011. The aim of the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health is to bring Member States and other actors together to catalyze high level political support for national policies to address social determinants of health to reduce health inequities. Its specific objectives are to:

•     strengthen political commitment by Member States to develop and implement national policies on social determinants of health to reduce health inequities;

•     share experiences, challenges and technical knowledge on addressing social determinants of health, taking into account the need for strengthening governance arrangements and learning from different contexts.

The Conference will serve as a catalyst for the coordination of efforts by national governments, international agencies, academic institutions and civil society organizations in the fight against health inequities. 800 participants are expected, including delegates from health and other sectors, Civil society organizations, academics, the private sector and representatives from WHO and other UN and international agencies. Participation will be by invitation only.  Participating Member States will be requested to approve the Rio Declaration that will express the global political commitment to implement action on the social determinants of health. The main themes that will be tackled during the conference are:

•     Governance to tackle the root causes of health inequities: implementing intersectoral action and Health in All Policies.

•     Health systems as a social determinant: the role of the health sector, including services and public health programmes, in improving health inequities.

•     Monitoring progress: measurement and analysis of health inequities and policies to address social determinants.

•     Promoting participation: community leadership for action on social determinants.

•     Action on social determinants to achieve global priorities and the role of global partners.

For more information about the conference, click here