Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health

. Marmot M. , Friel S. , Bell R. , Houweling T. A. J. the full list is in the final report. The overarching recommendations are: Improve daily living conditions Improve the well‐being of girls and women and the circumstances in which their children are born, put major emphasis on early child development and education for girls and boys, improve living and working conditions and create social protection policy supportive of all, and create conditions for a flourishing older life. Policies to achieve these goals will involve civil society, governments and global institutions. Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money and resources To address health inequities and inequitable conditions of daily living, it is necessary to address inequities – such as those between men and women – in the way society is organized. A strong, committed, capable and adequately financed public sector is needed. To achieve that requires more than strengthened government – it requires strengthened governance: legitimacy, space and support for civil society, for an accountable private sector, and for people across society to agree public interests and reinvest in the value of collective action. In a globalized world, the need for governance dedicated to equity applies equally from the community level to global institutions. Measure and understand the problem and assess the results of action Acknowledging that there is a problem and ensuring that health inequity is measured – within countries and globally – are essential for action. National governments and international organizations, supported by World Health Organization, should set up national and global health‐equity surveillance systems for routine monitoring of health inequity and the social determinants of health and should asses the health‐equity impact of policy and action. Creating the organizational space and capacity to act effectively on health inequity requires investment in training of policymakers and health practitioners, public understanding of social determinants of health, and a stronger focus on social determinants in public health research.