Social determinants of health

Social determinants of health

Images depicting differing social circumstances

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.

Responding to increasing concern about these persisting and widening inequities, WHO established the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) in 2005 to provide advice on how to reduce them. The Commission's final report was launched in August 2008, and contained three overarching recommendations:

LATEST

Action on the social determinants of health

Action on the social determinants of health (Action:SDH) is an emerging and exciting area of public health. To support this development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has created Action:SDH, an electronic information sharing platform, which aims to foster discussion and debate and to provide a clearing house on actions aimed at improving health equity through addressing the social determinants of health.

World Conference on Social Determinants of Health (WCSDH)

The aim of the WCSDH is to bring Member States and other actors together to engage high-level political support to make progress on national policies to address social determinants of health to reduce health inequities, in accordance with Resolution WHA62.14. This WHO conference will be hosted by the Government of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro from 19 to 21 October, 2011. Please click on the link below for more information.

Social determinants approaches to public health: from concept to practice

The thirteen case studies contained in this publication documents the real-life challenges in implementing health programmes using a social determinants approach, including the challenges in scaling up, managing policy changes, managing intersectoral processes, adjusting design and ensuring sustainability.

Monitoring Equity in Access to AIDS Treatment Programmes: A review of concepts, models, methods and indicators

This toolkit, produced by WHO and EQUINET, is a practical resource on how to apply the body of knowledge on health equity to monitoring the performance of AIDS treatment programmes, and offers insights for monitoring equity in other programmes.

Summer School on Health in All Policies: 28 November - 2 December 2011

In follow-up to the Adelaide International Meeting on Health in All Policies, a Summer School on Health in All Policies is being convened by the Government of South Australia, with technical support from WHO. The summer school will welcome 30 to 40 participants and guest lecturers from around the globe to Adelaide. Training will cover the use of the social determinants of health framework and other tools and approaches, for initiating and sustaining a joined-up sectoral approach to public policy in order to promote population health and health equity. Interested individuals are invited to submit their applications by 31 July 2011. For more information see: www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/healthinallpolicies.

Adelaide Statement on Health in All Policies

The Adelaide Statement introduces a strategic approach for governments to take when setting policies – an approach that emphasizes collaboration across government agencies, so that all sectors can reap the benefits of a healthy society.

Download the Adelaide Statement in:

Equity, Social Determinants and Public Health Programmes, 2010

This book is a collection of analyses of the social determinants of health that impact on specific health conditions and relative promising interventions to improve health equity.

  • Themes
    Formerly Knowledge Networks, the key themes studied by the Commission on Social Determinants of Health
  • Publications
    Papers, reports and other material related to social determinants of health, health equity and the themes studied by the Commission

World Conference October 2011

New SDH community of practice tool

Essential information

The Final Report of the Commission

Interview Sir Michael Marmott