[Pophealth] Closing the health inequalities gap: an international perspective

[Stephen Bezruchka]

There are many different terms used to refer to health differences in 
popualtions although the concept is relatively unknown by the US public 
despite, as the report indicates, it being the only country with an 
ambitious goal to eliminate health disparities by 2010.  Benjamin's law at 
work (when all is said and done, more is said than done).

Nevertheless this report is a good summary of what is being written at 
the government level in many rich countries regarding population health.  STephen

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The report "Closing the health inequalities gap: an international 
perspective" presents an analysis of official documents on government 
policies to tackle inequalities in health from 13 developed countries. All 
countries recognize that health inequalities are caused by adverse 
socioeconomic and environmental circumstances. However they differ in 
their definitions of inequalities and in their approaches to tackling the 
problem.
Sweden and Northern Ireland have structured their overall public health 
policy to tackle the underlying determinants of inequalities in health. 
England is the only country with a separate comprehensive policy. Most 
countries also have policies on poverty, social inclusion, and social 
justice.
These are motivated by a concern for human rights and dignity and deal 
primarily with the underlying causes of health inequalities. While broadly 
setting the same overarching goal, policies on health inequalities show 
many different features. Policymakers face two challenges: to ensure that 
strategies to tackle the macroenvironmental factors feature in policy on 
inequalities in health, and to ensure that health becomes a prominent 
issue in social justice policy. Few countries have a coordinated approach 
to tackling inequalities in health.
It was commissioned by NHS Health Scotland and published by the WHO 
European Office for Investment for Health and Development.
The Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization, 2005
Available online as PDF file [81p.] at:
http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E87599.pdf