PLoS Medicine
(Accessed 7 November 2011)
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/browse.action?field=date

Priorities for Research on Equity and Health: Towards an Equity-Focused Health Research Agenda
Piroska Östlin, Ted Schrecker, Ritu Sadana, Josiane Bonnefoy, Lucy Gilson, Clyde Hertzman, Michael P. Kelly, Tord Kjellstrom, Ronald Labonté, Olle Lundberg, Carles Muntaner, Jennie Popay, Gita Sen, Ziba Vaghri Policy Forum, published 01 Nov 2011
doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001115

Summary Points
– Based on extensive review of global evidence, the recommendations of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health highlight the need for strengthening research on health equity with a focus on social determinants of health.

– To do so requires a paradigm shift that explicitly addresses social, political, and economic processes that influence population health; this shift is under way and complements existing research in medicine, the life sciences, and public health.

– Reflecting further synthesis and stakeholder consultations, an agenda for future research on health equity is outlined in four distinct yet interrelated areas: (1) global factors and processes that affect health equity; (2) structures and processes that differentially affect people’s chances to be healthy within a given society; (3) health system factors that affect health equity; and (4) policies and interventions to reduce health inequity.

– Influencing regional and national research priorities on equity and health and their implementation requires joint efforts towards creating a critical mass of researchers, expanding collaborations and networks, and refining norms and standards, with WHO having an important role given recent mandates.