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Awareness, Action, Accountability -- the new sign posts on social determinants of health
This "Triple A" call to action was front and centre in statements from WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, on the first day of the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dr. Chan's words reflected a strong appetite for change among groups present at the global meeting, particuarly civil society participants who are calling for the global community to move beyond theory and debate to implementation of practical government policies, intersectoral partnerships, and health services and programs that tackle social barriers to health.
Dr. Chan singled out civil society groups as being critical in moving forward, urging governments around the world to make "action on health" a more inclusive, participatory process.
As if to deliberately head off any ill-informed or ideological opposition to action on social determinants of health, a large portion of the opening day's discussion focused on the need to move to action within the context of fragile economies around the world. "Investment in improving health and in addressing social determinants of health is key to economic development, and all of the evidence points to this," Dr. Chan added, as she urged Ministers of Health and their governments around the world to 'connect these dots' and to approach action on social determinants as an economic imperative.
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This "Triple A" call to action was front and centre in statements from WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, on the first day of the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dr. Chan's words reflected a strong appetite for change among groups present at the global meeting, particuarly civil society participants who are calling for the global community to move beyond theory and debate to implementation of practical government policies, intersectoral partnerships, and health services and programs that tackle social barriers to health.
Dr. Chan singled out civil society groups as being critical in moving forward, urging governments around the world to make "action on health" a more inclusive, participatory process.
As if to deliberately head off any ill-informed or ideological opposition to action on social determinants of health, a large portion of the opening day's discussion focused on the need to move to action within the context of fragile economies around the world. "Investment in improving health and in addressing social determinants of health is key to economic development, and all of the evidence points to this," Dr. Chan added, as she urged Ministers of Health and their governments around the world to 'connect these dots' and to approach action on social determinants as an economic imperative.
more....
