A global report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) stresses that the underlying causes of poor health often come from factors beyond the health sector, such as the lack of quality housing, education and employment possibilities.
The new Global report on social determinants of health equity shows that such determinants can be responsible for a spectacular reduction in healthy life expectancy – sometimes by decades – in high -income and low -income countries. For example, the inhabitants of the country with the lowest life expectancy will live on average 33 years shorter than those born in the country with the highest life expectancy. Social determinants of health equity can influence people’s health results more than genetic influences or access to health care.
“Our world is uneven. Where we were born, grow, live, work and age considerably influences our health and well-being, ”said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But the change for the best is possible. This global report illustrates the importance of attacking linked social determinants and provides strategies based on political evidence and recommendations to help countries improve health results for all. ”
The report stresses that health inequalities are closely linked to the degrees of social disadvantage and the levels of discrimination. Health follows a social gradient by which the more the region in which people live, the more their income is low and they have fewer years of education, good health, with fewer healthy years to live. These inequalities are exacerbated in the populations which are faced with discrimination and marginalization. One of the lively examples is the fact that indigenous peoples have lower life expectancy than non -Aboriginal peoples in high -income or low -income countries.
Social injustice stimulates inequalities
THE Global report on social determinants of health equity is the first of its kind published since 2008, when the Social Health Demant Commission of WHO has published its final report in the implementation of objectives for 2040 to reduce gaps between and within countries in life expectancy, childhood and maternal mortality. The 2025 global report shows that these objectives are likely to be missed.
Although the data is rare, there is sufficient evidence to show that health inequalities within countries are often widening. WHO data cite that children born in poor countries are 13 times more likely to die before the age of 5 in richer countries. Modeling shows that the life of 1.8 million children per year could be saved in filling the gap and improving equity between the poorest and richest sectors of the population in low and average income countries.
The report shows that although there has been a 40% drop in maternal mortality worldwide between 2000 and 2023, medium and low -priced countries are still 94% of maternal deaths.
Women of disadvantaged groups are more likely to die of causes related to pregnancy. In many high -income countries, racial and ethnic inequalities in maternal mortality rates persist, for example, in certain regions, indigenous women were up to three times more likely to die during childbirth. There are also strong associations between higher levels of gender inequality, including children’s marriage and higher maternal mortality rates.
Breaking the cycle
Who stresses that measures to combat income inequalities, structural discrimination, conflicts and climatic disturbances are essential to overcome deep health inequalities. Climate change is estimated to grow 68 to 135 million additional people in extreme poverty over the next 5 years.
Currently, 3.8 billion people worldwide are deprived of adequate social protection coverage, such as children / paid sick leave, with a direct and lasting impact on their health results. The high debt charges have paralyzed the ability of governments to invest in these services, the total value of interest payments made by the 75 poorest countries in the world increasing in the past decade.
Who calls for the collective action of national and local governments and leaders within health, the academic world, research, civil society, alongside the private sector for:
- approach economic inequalities and invest in social infrastructure and universal public services;
- Overcome structural discrimination and determinants and impacts of conflicts, emergencies and forced migrations;
- Manage the challenges and opportunities for climate action and digital transformation to promote CO-ATTCS on health equity; And
- Promote governance agreements that favor action on social determinants of health equity, in particular by maintaining intergovernmental policy platforms and strategies, allocating money, power and resources at the most local level where it can have the most impact and empower community engagement and civil society.
Publisher’s note
In the Wha74.16 (2021) resolution, the sixty-fourth World Health Assembly has asked the Director General of the WHO to prepare for a report on social determinants of health, their impact on health equity and health, the progress made so far to resolve them and recommendations for new measures. THE Global report on social determinants of health equity Provides an update of the conclusion of the WHO Commission on the social determinants of health in 2008 which declared that “social injustice kills large -scale”.