The Economics Of The Social Determinants Of Health And Health Inequalities: A Resource Book (nonserial Publications)
by World Health Organization /
2013 / English / PDF
1.3 MB Download
In response to the growing concern about equity issues and their
implications for overall development, WHO established the
Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) in 2005, which
focused on the "social justice" or human rights arguments for
health investments. CSDH investigated the factors involved in the
so-called "social gradient in health", which refers to the large
observable differences in health outcomes within and between
countries that are determined by avoidable inequalities in the
access to resources and power. CSDH aimed to further investigate
the causes of health inequities, with a deliberate detachment from
economic considerations, and provide advice on how to tackle them
effectively. CSDH also reviewed evidence for action on a wider
scope of interventions than CMH, many of which require
intersectoral collaboration or advocacy.
In response to the growing concern about equity issues and their
implications for overall development, WHO established the
Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) in 2005, which
focused on the "social justice" or human rights arguments for
health investments. CSDH investigated the factors involved in the
so-called "social gradient in health", which refers to the large
observable differences in health outcomes within and between
countries that are determined by avoidable inequalities in the
access to resources and power. CSDH aimed to further investigate
the causes of health inequities, with a deliberate detachment from
economic considerations, and provide advice on how to tackle them
effectively. CSDH also reviewed evidence for action on a wider
scope of interventions than CMH, many of which require
intersectoral collaboration or advocacy.
With CMH and CSDH having adopted different but perhaps
complementary standpoints, it soon became clear that greater
synergies had to be forged between the two. This WHO resource book
on the economics of social determinants of health and health
inequalities seeks to begin to build a bridge between the two
approaches by explaining, illustrating and discussing the economic
arguments that could (and could not) be put forth to support the
case for investing in the social determinants of health on average
and in the reduction in socially determined health inequalities.
The resource book has two main objectives:
With CMH and CSDH having adopted different but perhaps
complementary standpoints, it soon became clear that greater
synergies had to be forged between the two. This WHO resource book
on the economics of social determinants of health and health
inequalities seeks to begin to build a bridge between the two
approaches by explaining, illustrating and discussing the economic
arguments that could (and could not) be put forth to support the
case for investing in the social determinants of health on average
and in the reduction in socially determined health inequalities.
The resource book has two main objectives:
* to provide an overview and introduction into how economists would
approach the assessment of the economic motivation to invest in the
social determinants of health and socially determined health
inequities, including what the major challenges are in this
assessment;
* to provide an overview and introduction into how economists would
approach the assessment of the economic motivation to invest in the
social determinants of health and socially determined health
inequities, including what the major challenges are in this
assessment;
* to illustrate the extent to which an economic argument can be
made in favor of investment in three major social determinants of
health areas: education, social protection, and urban development
and infrastructure.
* to illustrate the extent to which an economic argument can be
made in favor of investment in three major social determinants of
health areas: education, social protection, and urban development
and infrastructure.