6.1 Local assessment of resources, availability and quality of data on the social determinants of health and health equity
Effective health equity monitoring begins with understanding existing data resources and identifying gaps. This area focuses on assessing the availability, quality and accessibility of data on the social determinants of health and health equity at the local level, ensuring that key equity areas and populations in conditions of vulnerability are adequately represented.
Examples from SIMASHE
Mapping local sources of SDH information in Suaza, Colombia: The local steering committees involved in SIMASHE have mapped administrative registers and population-based surveys to design an SDH monitoring system. This process, along with a series of workshops that involved the municipal sector and the community, has been essential for creating a relevant social determinants of health monitoring system in Suaza. It also complements the mapping of information sources conducted by PAHO at the national level.
/social-determinants-of-health-(sdh)/equity-and-health-(eqh)/6_1_1_colombia_mapping-local-sdh-sources-of-information-in-suaza--colombia.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=63be0622_1)
WHO Western Pacific Regional Office Health Equity Dashboard: The regional office in the Western Pacific developed a health equity dashboard that provides information on important health indicators categorized by socioeconomic conditions in various countries of the region. The dashboard includes both national- and subnational-level data, featuring indicators that track progress on the SDHE and the Sustainable Development Goals. It serves as a model to inspire action on health equity data at the local level.
/social-determinants-of-health-(sdh)/equity-and-health-(eqh)/6_1_2_wpro2.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=3d83886c_1)
Key intervention activities
SIMASHE is continuously seeking examples related to this area of work, including activities for:
- identifying local SDH priorities and pressing health disparities.
- community-driven baseline mapping of local SDH and community information sources.
- assessing and cataloging all types of SDH-relevant local data sources across sectors and local stakeholders.
- deploying geographic and sector-specific analyses (e.g. housing, education, transportation) to map inequities at the local level.