Inequalities in health system performance and their social determinants in Europe – tools for assessment and information sharing

The European Union, Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General (DG-SANCO) and WHO Regional Office for Europe formed a partnership in 2007 to develop tools for assessment and information sharing for health system performance on socially determined health inequities in Europe.

The joint project will run for three years and has five general objectives:

• Improve availability of and access to evidence on the disparities in health system performance, including quality of care and the structural determinants of such disparities across countries and regions in Europe.
• Provide additional information support to priority setting processes for equity oriented policies at the national and regional levels in Europe.
• Facilitate the evaluation of the equity impact of various policies within and outside health systems.
• Collect and systematize good practice examples on effective policies to reduce inequalities in health through health systems action on tackling wider social determinants.
• To develop tools and mechanisms for skills development to strengthen the human resource capacity to address such issues in countries.