[afro-nets] WHO sponsored Commission on Social Determinants of Health

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

WHO sponsored Commission on Social Determinants of Health
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Public invitation to nominate Commissioners

Throughout the world, poor people and those from socially disad-
vantaged groups get sicker and die sooner than people in more
privileged social positions. Income poverty is a powerful pre-
dictor of health outcomes, but other social factors such as nu-
trition and diet, housing, education, working conditions, rural
vs. urban habitat and gender and ethnic discrimination also de-
termine people's chances to be healthy. Indeed, science shows
that social factors account for the bulk of the global burden of
disease and of health inequalities between and within countries.

To respond, WHO will launch a high-level Commission on Social
Determinants of Health which will assemble relevant evidence
and, most important, spearhead a political process to drive
change. The Commission's overarching goal is to increase vulner-
able people's chances for a healthy life.

It will achieve this by identifying and promoting implementation
of effective policies on the social determinants of health in
countries, at WHO, and among global health actors. The Commis-
sion will emphasize turning public health knowledge into politi-
cal action.