People's health and the social determinants of health

Health promotion: A political imperative

“…The need for action on the social, commercial and structural determinants of health has been a prominent feature of the AHPA/PHAA health promotion and illness prevention policy statement, consistent with recent national scholarship in this field . Four key actions outlined in the policy statement include a call for the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council to establish a health promotion and illness prevention leadership structure/mechanism to establish strategic directions, prioritise actions and allocate resources; the development of a Health Promotion and Illness Prevention Strategic Framework; a commitment of 5% of national health expenditure directed towards health promotion; and at least 10% of the Medical Research Future Fund directed towards national health promotion and illness prevention efforts [34, p5‐6].…”

Advancing health promotion in rural and remote Australia: Strategies for change

“…In addition to identifying regional and remote Australians as a priority population, the National Preventive Health Strategy also indicates that contextual factors relating to social, environmental, structural, economic, cultural, biomedical, commercial and digital environments need to be addressed 14 . These sentiments—particularly increased focus on social and cultural determinants of health—have been repeatedly argued by health promotion scholars; and woven throughout policy documents in Australia for well over two decades 3,5,7,15‐16 . This focus also aligns with prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well‐being frameworks and strategies, and a myriad of accompanying reports 19‐20 .…”

“…However, the health and social inequities faced by those living in rural and remote areas are well documented, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 1 Access to health services, including primary health care services, can be limited [1][2] ; the influence of social and cultural determinants of health are often poorly addressed [3][4][5][6][7] ; and the attraction, retention and mobility of the health workforce is an ongoing problem. [8][9] These issues create significant challenges for the rural and remote health promotion community that differ markedly from their urban counterparts.…”

The Environment as a Patient: A Content Analysis of Canadian Nursing Organizations and Regulatory Bodies Policies on Environmental Health

“…The World Health Organization created the Commission of Social Health Determinants in 2005 to outline actions for enhanced health and to mitigate health inequities across the globe ( Baum, 2018 ; World Health Organization, 2020 ). The report generated by the Commission affirmed that improving daily living situations, reducing wealth and resource inequities, and monitoring global health inequities are three key actions needed to improve global health ( WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health, 2008 ).…”