Intersectoral actions for addressing social determinants of health : Report of a regional consultation

The report of the consultation recognizes the importance of addressing social determinants of health such as, individual risk factors, life-course approach, and structural determinants influenced by social, political and economic contexts of countries within South-East Asia. Academics were urged to generate evidence for multi-stakeholders to understand and operationalize the determinant factors leading to health inequity. It was acknowledged that data and measurement in most countries in South-East Asia were inadequate to bring about policy changes. Social participation at various levels of policy- making in the WHO South-East Asia Region was prominent. "Health equity in all policies" was recognized as the ultimate goal that needed strong support from all sectors through intersectoral actions. The movement towards decentralization and universal coverage could be an open opportunity for countries to strive for health equity and address the social determinants of health. The regional consultation was organized to follow up on the progress of implementation of various health programmes to address underlying causes of health. More importantly, health impact assessment, particularly for the vulnerable populations, needed to be carried out to raise concerns on health issues with other sectors. The need for capacity strengthening to address the structural determinants of health was highlighted.