Healthy, prosperous lives for all: WHO European Health Equity Status Report (2019)

Policy actions are needed to address all five conditions. The Health Equity Status Report also considers the drivers of health equity, namely the factors fundamental to creating more equitable societies: policy coherence, accountability, social participation and empowerment. The report provides evidence of the indicators driving health inequities in each of the 53 Member States of the Region as well as the solutions to reducing these inequities.

The 2019 WHO health equity status report identified the essential conditions needed to create and sustain a healthy life for all. The report, an initiative by WHO Europe, urged governments to take policy action to address these five conditions, which are:

• good quality and accessible health services
• income security and social protection
• decent living conditions
• social and human capital
• decent work and employment conditions.

The report provided evidence that these conditions drive health inequalities in all of the 53 Member States of the Region. It set out solutions to reducing these inequities. The report also identified the so-called drivers of health equity. These are the factors that are fundamental to creating more equitable societies:

• Policy conference
• Accountability
• Social participation
• Empowerment

Find the report here.