Policy coherence
The Commission on Social Determinants of Health presents an exhaustive review of the problem of health inequities and the approaches required to close the gap in a generation. These approaches involve not only different sectors, but also different discourses and paradigms. For policy implementation, it is important to understand how action on the social determinants links to other priorities.
Addressing the social determinants of health has much in common with primary health care and health promotion strategies. Climate change is likely to impact on many social determinants and worsen health inequities. Public health programmes often neglect the contribution that addressing social determinants of health can make to achieving health targets, including the Millennium Development Goals. Economic crises can provide further impetus for broader action on health. Increasing thought is thus being given on how to align policy between these priority strategies and issues, identifying potential tensions and considering how to make the most of synergies.
