Social Determinants of Health - International Health Disparities

International Health Disparities

Even in the wealthiest countries, there are disparities in health between the rich and the poor. Canadian authors Labonte and Schrecker from the University of Ottawa note the globalization is a key context for the study of the social determinants of health, and the impacts of globalization are asymmetric. As a result, there is an uneven distribution of wealth and influence both within and across national borders, leading to negative impacts on the social determinants of health. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found significant differences among developed nations in health status indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality, incidence of disease, and death from injuries.

These disparities may exist in the context of the health care system, or in broader social approaches. According to the WHO's Commission on Social Determinants of Health, access to health care is essential for equitable health, and it argued that health care should be a common good rather than a market commodity. However, there is substantial variation in health care systems and coverage from country to country. The Commission also calls for government action on such things as access to clean water and safe, equitable working conditions, and it notes that dangerous working conditions exist even in some wealthy countries. In the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health, several key areas of action were identified to address disparities, including promotion of participatory policy-making processes, strengthening global governance and collaboration, and encouraged developed countries to reach a target of 0.7% of gross national product (GNP) for official development assistance.