The WHO Regional Office for Europe commissioned this review of social determinants of health and the health divide to identify actions needed to address health inequities within and between countries across the 53 Member States of the European Region. The  conclusions and recommendations of the review informed the development of Health 2020,  the new European policy framework for health and well-being – along with a companion study on governance for health in the 21st century.

Much more is now understood about the extent and social causes of these inequities, particularly since the 2008 publication of the report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) - action on the social determinants of health across the life-course and in wider social and economic spheres are required to achieve greater health equity and protect future generations. 

The WHO European review builds on the global evidence and recommends policies to ensure progress can be made in reducing health inequities and the health divide across all countries, including those with low incomes. It provides numerous case studies - examples and experiences of addressing social determinants of health and health inequities in the Region. One of the key goals of the review was to identify what can be implemented with sufficient scale and intensity to make a difference across the diverse contexts of the European Region.

This review was carried out by a cross-disciplinary consortium of Europe’s leading experts, chaired by Sir Michael Marmot and supported by a joint secretariat from the Institute and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The review was informed and shaped by the work of 13 task groups and guided by a senior advisory board.

Above, you can download the full report, executive summary and the document of source materials used in case studies.

We have also:

•  press details of an article based on the review and published in The Lancet.
• a statement from Ron Labonte
• a statement from Michael Marmot
• The interim Second Report of the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region
• Task Reports from the WHO Euro Review of Social Determinants and the Health Divide