FORUM 12

Sustainable strategies for addressing health inequalities

Friday, 5 October 2018 | 9.00-11.30 | Kursaal C

Organised by the EHFG & EuroHealthNet

We know what really determines health – profound and entrenched inequalities that taint developed societies. In the EU, health inequality contributes to 700,000 deaths and 33 million cases of ill health annually, and account for an estimated 20% of European annual healthcare costs (€177bn). Recent research in Scotland has shown that the poorest areas have double the rate of illness or early death than wealthiest areas. But despite an increasing concern and awareness of health inequalities, a wide gap exists in Europe in terms of political response. Considering how we can enable citizens to adopt more sustainable and healthier lifestyles without victimising vulnerable groups compounding inequalities is a key challenge here. This session, touching on SDGs 2, 3, 10, 12, will look at health inequalities from a sustainability perspective, linking environmental goals, lifestyles, food consumption and health equity impacts, will ask delegates to discuss some examples of initiatives and will consider the outcomes of new studies like INHERIT and promising European joint actions and policies such as the European Pillar on Social Rights. What could a healthier and more sustainable future look like? What does that mean for equity and what are the barriers to intersectoral collaboration to create the conditions needed to reduce health inequalities? Ultimately what can we do in Europe to dovetail actions in the health, environment and social dimension, while keeping equity at the centre?

Session Recording

Speakers & panellists

Input from

SIR MICHAEL MARMOT, Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity

MARTIN SCHENK-MAIR, Deputy Director on Social Policy, Diakonie, Austria

YVONNE DOYLE, Regional Director London, Public Health England and Advisor to London Mayor Sadiq Khan

CAROLINE COSTONGS, Director, EuroHealthNet

DIRK VAN DEN STEEN, Policy Officer, DG SANTE, European Commission

GIUSEPPE COSTA, Professor of Public Health at the Turin University Medical School, Chair of the San Luigi Hospital Epidemiology Unit, and of the Regional Epidemiology Unit

KARIN SCHINDLER, Head of Dept, Mother, Child and Gender Health, Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection

Moderation

LOUISE BOYLE, Programme Advisor, EHFG

CAROLINE COSTONGS, Director, EuroHealthNet