Update 60

Update 60, "The challenge of health inequalities in Europe" - now available online

The health gap between the rich and the poor in Europe appears to be widening. Recently, European Health Commissioner David Byrne expressed his concern giving the following example: ’In England, the death rate from coronary heart disease is now three times higher among unskilled men than among professionals and the gap has widened sharply in the last 20 years.’ Through some key initiatives, the EU has made efforts to counter this disturbing development. The problem for Commissioner Byrne (...)

EU Health Forum: getting the process right

The first formal meeting of the Health Policy Forum presented an opportunity to discuss how the EU Health Forum would be managed and organised.
The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) and 14 of its member organisations have been invited to become members of the Health Policy Forum, which forms part of the EU Health Forum. In total 45 organisations were invited to attend the launch meeting of the Policy Forum in November 2001. Among the objectives of the meeting was a discussion of how (...)

Mixed outcome on the health framework plenary

The EU’s health plan should be finally agreed during the first half of 2002. Originally intended to cover 2001-2006, the Second Reading took place in December 2001 and more delays are likely since the legislative process now looks set to go to conciliation. However, health NGOs working at the European level have welcomed the likelihood that the health budget will rise and will continue to lobby to achieve a more secure financial base.
"Health is a major concern of Europe’s citizens": so (...)

Health NGOs maintain the pressure

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) is playing a key role in challenging the health inequalities that exist in Europe. It represents member organisations which run activities in local communities aimed at reducing these injustices and it relays their views to the European Institutions. At the same time, EPHA pushes for greater attention to be given to health in European social and environmental movements. UPDATE editor Diana Smith reports.
The need to reduce inequalities in health (...)

The evidence and the options

How serious are inequalities in health in Europe and what can be done to reduce them? UPDATE Editor Diana Smith investigates.
As Europe opens up to the East, Western Europeans are becoming increasingly aware that people living in the less wealthy countries of central and eastern Europe have poorer health and shorter life expectancy that those in western Europe. Male life expectancy in the Russian Federation is 62.7 years compared with 73.7 years in Germany.
What is less well known is that (...)

Belgian presidency: can the EU bring about change?

The Belgian presidency of the European Union, which ended in December 2001, made a considerable contribution to raising the issue of inequalities in health. But health minister, Magda Aelvoet ended her term of office expressing a sense of frustration over how little could be achieved.
Sitting around the table at a Ministerial meeting in December 2001, participants were reminded that ten years ago a discussion about how to tackle inequalities in health would not have been possible. The (...)

Danish showcase: Copenhagen addresses inequality

The Copenhagen City Council has just approved its public health targets for the next five years. One is that efforts to reduce social inequality should be integrated into all policies in the City. The following are three examples of initiatives run by the Copenhagen Health Administration. Health Care Services - The Family Clinic
Two hospitals in Copenhagen are offering family clinics which have a special service for pregnant women and mothers with problems with alcohol and drug abuse. (...)

What role for health promotion? Models of good practice

POLICY DEVELOPMENT
1. National health inequality targets
United Kingdom: National inequalities target, inequalities in health national consultation
Sweden: The national strategy for public health set 18 goals including high employment, education and green recreation areas, and family friendly policies
2. Integrating health determinants into other policy areas
Austria: Health Promotion Act 1998
Germany: Eastern Brandenburg employment and health promotion services joint working programme (...)

Approaching health inequalities on the Island of Ireland

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland has been instrumental in encouraging the two Irish governments to address disparities in health related to socio-economic factors. Owen Metcalfe, Associate Director, describes the process, the emphasis on partnership between government departments and disciplines, and the hopes for the future.
The focus on health inequalities has sharpened on the island of Ireland recently. At a policy level this is demonstrated in Northern Ireland where the (...)

Nurses take a community approach

Tackling health inequalities has become a key focus for health policy and practice across Europe. In the UK, there is increasing awareness of the capacity of community development approaches to improve health. Jane Naish, policy advisor with the Royal College of Nursing, UK, describes one successful project.
Jenny Gough is an experienced public health nurse and health visitor who has worked in a socially deprived area of the UK’s West Midlands for several years. She quickly recognised the (...)

Resources on tackling health inequalities

The role of health promotion in tackling inequalities in health is the European Commission-funded study featured on page 7. It includes a Report and Executive Summary on the development of policies and strategies by the European Network for Health Promotion Agencies (September 2001). It is available from the Flemish Institute for Health Promotion (VIG) Gustave Schildknechtstraat 9, B-1020, Brussels, Belgium. And via the website: http://www.vig.be/doc/kansarmen/Social_inequalities.doc; a (...)

Tackling health inequalities: what can health promotion do?

A recent European Commission-funded report provides recommendations for a policy approach to reduce inequalities in health through health promotion. These recommendations were presented to a Health Council meeting on 15 November 2001 and to a ministerial round table on 5 December 2001. The following article is based on the report and suggests key roles for health NGOs. It is written by John Middleton of Sandwell Health Authority, an EPHA member involved in projects aimed at reducing (...)