Priorities for research on equity and health: towards an equity-focused health research agenda
Author(s) Name: P Ostlin et al including Gita Sen
Journal Name : PLoS Medicine
Volume : Vol 8 (11), November 2011
Year of Publication : 2011
Abstract :In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) established a Task Force on Research Priorities for Equity in Health to provide expert advice on research priorities to take forward the health equity policy agenda (1,2). Members were selected purposively from around the globe for their dual expertise in health equity research and in advising national and international policymakers on the implications of research for equity-oriented policy. The Task Force identified priorities by way of a consultation paper presented at the 2004 conference of the International Society for Equity in Health in Durban, South Africa. Subsequently, five main priority areas were identified, and task force members were asked to identify and prioritise key research questions in each area. The resultant Task Force Report (2005) contributed to the selection of themes for the Knowledge Networks set up by WHO to support the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) and the terms of reference for each network. The CSDH issued its Final Report in 2008: one of its three overarching recommendations for reducing health inequities through action on social determinants of health is to "measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action." During 2009 WHO and its governing bodies discussed ways to ensure that health inequity is measured and reduced - within countries and globally - and to support healthresearch that explicitly addresses this agenda.