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Social determinants of health in countries in conflict : a perspective from the Eastern Mediterranean region

WATTS, Susan
SIDDIQI, Sameen
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO), Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
2008

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The objectives of this review are to: assess the impact of conflict on the health of people in affected countries of the Region; document how conflict affects social determinants, and thus results in adverse health outcomes; present the results of an innovative qualitative study that captures civilian suffering and resilience in a conflict setting, through collaboration with civil society organizations; identify some examples of activities and interventions that may help to mitigate the impact of these conflicts on the health and well-being of affected populations; and identify policy implications. The study identifies three social determinants that have a bearing on health and are peculiar to a conflict setting: the loss of human rights, breaches of medical neutrality, and progression from stress to distress and disease that results from constant, unremitting exposure to a life-threatening situation. This review was requested by the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health

Building the knowledge base on the social determinants of health : review of seven countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

WATTS, Susan
SIDDIQI, Sameen
Eds
2008

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"The WHO Global Commission on Social Determinants of Health was launched in 2005 with the aim of identifying and tackling the persistent and growing inequalities in health, both within and between countries. These inequalities are caused by what we now term social determinants, defined as the way people live, work and age in a society. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region the knowledge base on social determinants and how these influence health is sparse. "This publication reviews the social determinants of health in seven countries of the Region and represents a first step towards building a knowledge base that can inform policy and strategies related to social determinants and the health inequities arising from them. The publication also discusses some of the strategies that could be adopted to forward the agenda on social determinants of health and health equity in individual countries"

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