INFORMATION SIGNPOSTING FOR HEALTH INEQUALITIES
< Cross-cutting themes | National policy and action plans >
Introduction
Health is improving…but not at the same rate for everyone.
Some health differences are to be expected, for example, older people are more likely to become ill, and so can be expected to consume more health service resources. However, some groups have a higher presence of disease, worse health outcomes, or worse access to health care that cannot be explained by differences in need. These represent the true meaning of health inequities - unfair and avoidable differences in health that are a consequence of where people are born, grow, live, work and age.1
Health inequalities are endemic in our society – they are found across different geographical areas, between genders, different ethnic communities, and different social and economic groups. Those born into disadvantaged groups are likely to die at a younger age and live more of their lives in ill health than average. This is fundamentally unjust and unacceptable, but health inequalities are stubborn, they persist through generations and they are difficult to change.1
“Taking action to reduce inequalities in health does not require a separate health agenda, but action across the whole of society to address the underlying determinants of these inequalities. Hence, creating a fairer society is fundamental to improving the health of the whole population and ensuring a fairer distribution of good health”.1
This resource provides signposts to key national and regional documentation regarding health inequality policy and action plans. It also provides links to a number of on-line toolkits allowing health inequalities and the impact of interventions to be measured and explored interactively.
If you have any queries or comments on the Health Inequalities theme pages please contact
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1. Marmot Review, 2010.
< Cross-cutting themes | National policy and action plans >
PAGE CREATED: 1 August 2009 | PAGE REVISED: 16 March 2011