• Recording of the webinar - Passcode: *b4Wj*w!

The meeting was organized in collaboration with the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), and with support from the World Health Organization’s Department of Social Determinants of Health Equity. Representatives from national public health authorities in countries across the world participated: Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, India, South Africa, Tunisia and the USA.

The backdrop of the discussion was how the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated already existing patterns of social inequities in health, both between and within countries. During discussions, participants exemplified how NPHIs can play an important role in addressing these inequities, for example by providing data identifying particularly vulnerable groups, by creating knowledge about the long-term implications and the equity impact of public health and societal interventions, and by collaborating with different policy sectors, local authorities and civil society organizations.

The discussions at the meeting will feed into the World Health Organization’s ongoing development of a new World Report on the Social Determinants of Health Equity.

Program

• 14:00: Welcome and introductions
  • Dr Trygve Ottersen, Executive Director, Division of Infection Control, NIPH.
  • Dr. Frode Forland – chair and specialist director for infectious diseases and global health, NIPH.
• 14:10: Reflections on COVID-19, health equity and the work of NPHIs.
  • Dr. Camilla Stoltenberg, Director-General, NIPH.
• 14:15: Updates about the World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity.
  • Dr. Sudhvir Singh, Technical Officer, Equity and Health, Department of Social Determinants of Health, WHO HQ.       
• 14:25: Discussion (4 min. intervention per participant followed by guided discussion).
  • (1) How did health inequities feature in the response to COVID-19 in your jurisdiction? What were the key actions for addressing health inequities that the institute/health department promoted (e.g., by putting forward evidence or in other ways recommending actions to policy makers) and what challenges were revealed?
  • (2) How did other sectors contribute to minimizing the health inequity impact of the pandemic and through what mechanisms did the health sector engage with these sectors?
  • (3) In what ways have the institute/health department sought to address social determinants of health equity through collaboration with other sectors? What challenges have you faced working with other sectors?
• 15:20: Summary by chair and next steps by the WHO.
• 15:30: Closing