Achieving sustainable health equity

The January 2022 edition of the bulletin of the World Health Organization published an article wrote by Arachu Castro, Michael Marmot, Juan Garay, Armando de Negri and Paulo Buss on behalf of the Sustainable Health Equity Movement.

To achieve sustainable health equity, we need to address two intertwined challenges: social inequality and the climate crisis. They both create health inequalities within and between countries; when these health inequalities are avoidable and unjust, they are known as health inequities. Building on the extensive knowledge and resources that already exist to sustainably improve health for everyone, the Sustainable Health Equity Movement¹ aims to promote sustainable health equity as an ethical principle that guides all national and international economic, social and environmental policies.²

The unequal distribution of power, money and other resources within and between countries, environmental damage, and political and armed conflict are structural drivers of inequities and the source of health inequities across the social gradient.^3,4 Creating the conditions for all people and future generations to attain their best health potential and lead dignified lives requires taking global, national and local actions on the structural and daily life factors (that is, the social determinants of health),⁵ with good governance based on human rights approaches.

You can read the full article on the WHO bulletin.