J Korean Med Assoc.  2013 Mar;56(3):195-205. 10.5124/jkma.2013.56.3.195.

Global trends in health equity policy: lessons from experiences in the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the World Health Organization

• Yoon TH

• KMID: 2064824
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2013.56.3.195

Abstract

Health equity is not just concerned with health care; rather, it is an issue of fairness and social justice. Equity-oriented health policies have increasingly been recognized as important public health issues for the last decades. This study investigates the blueprints for health equity policy that have been made in several developed countries or international organizations. From the late 1990s, national committees in the UK, the Netherlands, and Sweden have proposed comprehensive policies to strengthen health equity. In addition, the World Health Organization and its European regional office have developed policies for their member countries. Several lessons can be drawn from a review of the major blueprints: 1) setting attainable and quantitative targets, 2) action across all the social determinants of health, not just health care services, 3) giving the best start in early life for all children, 4) building equity-oriented universal health care systems, 5) political commitment, 6) participation and democratic decision making at the local level, and 7) monitoring and evaluation of health inequalities and their determinants.

Keyword

Health; Equity; Policy; Social determinants

MeSH Terms

Child
Collodion
Decision Making
Delivery of Health Care
Developed Countries
Health Policy
Humans
Netherlands
Public Health
Social Justice
Socioeconomic Factors
Sweden
World Health
World Health Organization
Collodion

Reference

1. Mackenbach JP, Bakker MJ. European Network on Interventions and Policies to Reduce Inequalities in Health. Tackling socioeconomic inequalities in health: analysis of European experiences. Lancet. 2003; 362:1409–1414.

2. Benach J, Malmusi D, Yasui Y, Martinez JM. A new typology of policies to tackle health inequalities and scenarios of impact based on Rose's population approach. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2013; 67:286–291.

3. Sen A. Why health equity? Health Econ. 2002; 11:659–666.

4. Mackenbach JP, Bakker M, Sihto M, Diderichsen F. Mackenbach JP, Bakker M, editors. Strategies to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health. Reducing inequalities in health: a European perspective. 2002. London: Routledge;p. 25–49.

5. World Health Organization, Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. 2008. Geneva: World Health Organization.

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy people 2010 [Internet]. 2010. cited 2013 Jan 25. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy-people/hp2010.html.

7. Whitehead M. Diffusion of ideas on social inequalities in health: a European perspective. Milbank Q. 1998; 76:469–492.

8. Macintyre S. The black report and beyond: what are the issues? Soc Sci Med. 1997; 44:723–745.

9. Marmot MG. Tackling health inequalities since the Acheson inquiry. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004; 58:262–263.

10. Acheson D. Independent inquiry into inequalities in health: report. 1998. London: Stationery Office.

11. Benzeval M. Mackenbach JP, Bakker M, editors. England. Reducing inequalities in health: a European perspective. 2002. London: Routledge;p. 201–213.

12. Exworthy M, Blane D, Marmot M. Tackling health inequalities in the United Kingdom: the progress and pitfalls of policy. Health Serv Res. 2003; 38(6 Pt 2):1905–1921.

13. Department of Health. Tackling health inequalities: a programme for action. 2003. London: Department of Health.

14. Marmot MG. Fair society, healthy lives: the Marmot review. 2010. London: The Marmot Review.

15. Background to the new Swedish public health policy. Scand J Public Health. 2004; 32:Suppl 64. 6–17.

16. Mackenbach JP, Stronks K. The development of a strategy for tackling health inequalities in the Netherlands. Int J Equity Health. 2004; 3:11.

17. Mackenbach JP, Stronks K. A strategy for tackling health inequalities in the Netherlands. BMJ. 2002; 325:1029–1032.

18. Programme Committee on Socio-Economic Inequalities in Health. Reducing socio-economic inequalities in health: final report and policy recommendations from the Dutch Programme Committee on Socio-Economic Inequalities in Health, second phase. 2001. Den Haag: ZonMw.

19. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. Health 21: the health for all policy framework for the WHO European region. 1999. Copenhagen: World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe.

20. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. Health 2020: policy framework and strategy. 2012. Copenhagen: World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe.

21. Wilkinson RG, Marmot MG. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. WHO Healthy Cities Project. WHO International Centre for Health and Society. The solid facts. 2003. Copenhagen: World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe.

22. Dahlgren G, Whitehead M. Policies and strategies to promote social equity in health. 1991. Stockholm: Institute of Future Studies.

23. Wadsworth M, Butterworth S. Marmot MG, Wilkinson RG, editors. Early life. Social determinants of health. 2006. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press;p. 31–53.

24. Mielck A, Graham H, Bremberg S. Mackenbach JP, Bakker MJ, editors. Children, and important target group for the reduction of socioeconomic inequalities in health. Reducing inequalities in health: a European perspective. 2002. London: Routledge;p. 144–168.

25. Stewart K. Hill J, Stewart K, editors. Towards an equal start? Addressing childhood poverty and deprivation. A more equal society? New labour, poverty, inequality and exclusion. 2005. Bristol: Policy Press;p. 143–165.

26. Woodward A, Kawachi I. Why reduce health inequalities? J Epidemiol Community Health. 2000; 54:923–929.

27. Mackenbach JP, Judge K, Navarro V, Kunst A. Mackenbach JP, Kunst A, Stirbu I, Roskam A, Schaap M, editors. Strategies to reduce socio-economic inequalities in health in Europe: lessons from the Eurothine Project. Tackling health inequalities in Europe: an integrated approach EUROTHINE. 2007. Rotterdam: University Medical Centre;p. 587–603.