Reducing health inequalities from a regional perspective. What works, what doesn’t?
At this international conference Flanders wishes to consider how the regional policy level can best influence the social determinants of health (such as education, income, housing and employment opportunities) in order to close the health gap between rich and poor at all stages of life.
Health is valuable, for everyone. Health surveys expose a painful reality: people who live in poorer conditions or are lower down on the social ladder have a shorter life expectancy. Even in prosperous places such as Flanders, the health of people varies systematically according to their social position.
Policy makers at different levels are aware of the need to remove these inequalities. Nonetheless, a health divide still exists. This is mainly the result of the complexity of the problem: the social determinants of health require an inter-sector approach, not just at (inter)national level, but also at regional and local level.
The regional policy provides an excellent framework for an integral approach to the social determinants of health. The conference emphasises the effectiveness of policies that are aimed at removing or reducing health inequalities. We look at the practical experiences and how things work in the field. We evaluate how research results are best converted into the development of policies.
The aim is twofold.
In plenary sessions and panel discussions, we look at the importance of a balanced growth policy (‘health in all policies’) and we investigate how other sectors affect health inequalities positively or negatively. We also do not lose sight of the differences between the European regions.
We take a close look at some concrete policy initiatives and evaluate specific target group-oriented actions. Experts and policy makers from European regions exchange good practices.
The conference is supported by the Regions for Health Network from the World Health Organisation (European region) and the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine.
Introduction