CERGAS Seminar joint with Dondena "The European agenda on health inequalities: priorities for research and policies"

The European agenda on health inequalities: priorities for research and policies

Abstract

The seminar will illustrate three European initiatives aimed at investigating the causes of health inequalities and promoting policies tackling and alleviating such disparities. A) The project by ALLEA and FEAM, European associations of Science and Medicine Academy respectively, titled “Health inequalities: an interdisciplinary exploration of socioeconomic position, health and causality" intends to build consensus around the most controvert issues discussed in economics and social science on the direction of causality in the relationship between social determinants and health. B) The project promoted by the European office the World Health Organization "Health Equity Status Report" (HESR) intends to foster an agreement between European countries on the actions to be taken in order to make governments accountable for their policies aimed at decreasing avoidable inequalities in health. C) The new Joint Action of the European Union on health inequalities "JAHEE: Joint Action Health Equity Europe!" aims to help the 24 member states involved in the project to improve their capacity and capability to implement policies to address health inequality. JAHEE will help to develop concrete and innovative actions to monitor health disparities, promote health at the municipality/local level, put in place mechanisms able to include in health and social policies the most vulnerable groups including migrants, and activate interdisciplinary initiatives and mechanisms to promote Equal Health across all policies.

Italy is the leading country in JAHEE and covers a privileged place in the participation to HESR given it is home to the WHO Venice Office, which is the project executor. Italy is also member of the expert panel of the Science and Medicine Academies. The seminar will offer an opportunity to discuss the research and actions that are developed and promoted by these three initiatives and make them interact with academic research agendas.