Abstract
In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the report of its Commission on Social Determinants of Health- Closing the Gap in a Generation. We describe how the report was initially received, what went into shaping the report during the months of its preparation and what more can be done now to realize the ultimate goal: population-level reduction in inequalities. As we find the Report to be strong in its presentation of evidence but weak in its policy recommendations, we present our own recommendations for research and action. From our perspectives within the increasingly visible field of social determinants of health research, we address this question: how can research improve the ability of public health policymakers to implement the Report's suggestions, plus develop new and better ones?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 163-175 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Public Health Policy |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Carles Muntaner is a Professor of Nursing, Psychiatry, and Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada, and Chair of Psychiatry and Addictions Nursing Research, Social Equity and Health Section, Social Policy and Prevention Research Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He is the recipient of the Wade Hampton Frost award of the American Public Health Association and a Chair of the Employment Conditions HUB of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health.
Keywords
- Global inequality
- Health inequalities
- Health policy
- Interventions
- WHO social determinants of health
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Policy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
