[EQ] The fiendish puzzle of health inequities

The fiendish puzzle of health inequities

Wayne Kondro
CMAJ September 18, 2012 184:1456-1457; doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-4271
Prof Sir Michael Marmot, UCL Institute of Health Equity, UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, London, UK
Website: http://bit.ly/Swx0hj  

“…….Medieval cartographers once depicted monsters and bogs on the borders of their maps, as if foraying into uncharted territories put one at risk of unimaginable and unpredictable consequences.

It might be said that Canada’s physicians find themselves in a bit of that predicament after embracing the notion that they have a major role to play in addressing health inequities and the social determinants of health, such as housing, education and poverty.

As they discovered during sessions of the Canadian Medical Association’s 145th annual general meeting, held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the solutions aren’t readily identifiable, and definitely not easily achieved. Broad policy solutions, like ones offered in a keynote lecture by internationally renowned epidemiologist Sir Michael Marmot, are not generally palatable to governments or consistent with prevailing political winds, while more local action, and even measures taken at the physician–patient level, can quickly devolve into classic conundrums. …”

Presentation: http://bit.ly/UEETSA

 

WHO European review of social determinants of health and the health divide

Prof Sir Michael Marmot FRCP a , Jessica Allen PhD a, Ruth Bell PhD a, Ellen Bloomer MSc a, Peter Goldblatt PhD a,
 on behalf of the Consortium for the European Review of Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide.
Prof Sir Michael Marmot, UCL Institute of Health Equity, UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, London, UK
The Lancet, Volume 380, Issue 9846, Pages 1011 - 1029, 15 September 2012

Website: http://bit.ly/U8o2HE

“…….The European region has seen remarkable heath gains in those populations that have experienced progressive improvements in the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, and work. However, inequities, both between and within countries, persist.

The review reported here, of inequities in health between and within countries across the 53 Member States of the WHO European region, was commissioned to support the development of the new health policy framework for Europe: Health 2020. Much more is understood now about the extent, and social causes, of these inequities, particularly since the publication in 2008 of the report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health

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….”

 

An Equal Start: Improving outcomes in Children's Centres

 

Improving outcomes in Children's Centres Executive Summary http://bit.ly/S3skua

An Evidence Review http://bit.ly/QSFDP4

The Institute of Health Equity was commissioned by 4Children to identify the most important outcomes Children’s Centres should be striving for in order to give all children positive early-years experiences.

 The IHE have published both an executive summary (which includes the outcomes framework), and a full evidence review, which call for a renewed focus on supporting good parenting and the environment in which parents live and work.

The work builds on existing frameworks and draws together the best available evidence of what is important in early years, the views of practitioners and parents, and the work that government continues to take forward around the early years.

 Moving on, the Institute will be involved in further work with Children’s Centres to help ensure that the outcomes framework becomes a useful tool which also identifies how best to measures these outcomes….”


KMC/2012/HSS
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