WHO report outlines challenges - and solutions - amid rising global health inequality
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 21st May 2025
A new World Health Organisation report has set out the growing impact of in country health inequalities, and the importance of community-led solutions to tackle these avoidable and unacceptable differences in people's health.
The report details how global targets to halve the gap in life expectancy between groups within countries by 2040 are set to be missed. In Scotland, recent research has shown that outcomes related to inequalities and health are not improving significantly and some are getting worse.
According to the WHO, a key area for action is around addressing economic inequality and investing in public services and infrastructure. "Increased spending on social services has been shown to result in measurable health equity improvements", and a strong social security safety net has shown to "reduce poverty and debt, and improve health outcomes".
The report sets out a specific recommendation on incorporating community engagement and social participation in how policy is shaped, and services are delivered. It notes the importance of “enabling conditions that maximise the capabilities of independent and inclusive civil society to address the social determinants of health equity,” as the report calls for collective action from leaders in all sectors of society.
Scotland has longstanding policies around addressing health inequalities, but top-level policy isn’t enough without the increased resources, infrastructure, and workforce to make this a reality. This WHO report outlines the importance of community-led action, and clearly sets out what’s at stake if governments fail to act.
What you need to know this week.
The SCDC Weekly gives you everything you need to know around community development and beyond.
It’s free, concise and delivered directly to your inbox every Wednesday.