Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

The Commission

The Regional Commission on the Social Determinants of Health was established in 2019 by the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean as an independent, expert Commission. The Commission has conducted an extensive review of health inequities in the Region and has produced a report "Build back fairer: achieving health equity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region". The report provides detailed analysis of the status of health inequities and a list of actionable recommendations. The work of the Commission puts social justice and health equity at the centre of all action to address the social determinants of health as shown in Fig. 1.

framework

Fig. 1. Conceptual framework of the Commission's report 

The Commission comprises regional and global experts in various field of health and development. The Commission is led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot from the Institute of Health Equity, University College London. 

The list of members of the Regional Commission includes:

  • Abdirizak Dalmar, Somali Disaster Resilience Institute, Somalia 
  • Anita Zaidi, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA
  • Adel El Zayani, Human and Environment Affairs, Gulf Cooperation Council
  • Assad Hafeez, Health Services Academy, Pakistan
  • Bagher Larijani, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran 
  • David Bishai, Johns Hopkins University, USA
  • Hoda Rashad, American University in Cairo, Egypt 
  • Iman Nuwayhid, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University in Beirut, Lebanon 
  • K. Srinath Reddy,; Public Health Foundation of India, India 
  • Rajae El Aouad, Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technology, Morocco 
  • Rowaida Al-Maaitah, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan 
  • Salwa Najjab, Juzoor Foundation for Health and Social Development, Palestine 
  • Senait Fisseha, Susan Buffet Foundation, USA  
  • Stephen Gloyd, Global Health and Health Services, University of Washington, USA. 

The establishment of the Commission and their work is the result of a partnership between the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, the Institute of Health Equity at University College London and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.

Its work builds on the work of the global Commission on the Social Determinants of Health established by WHO in 2008 and of other regional commissions (in Europe and the Americas) and provides a more contextualized analysis of determinants relevant to the Eastern Mediterranean Region, such as migration and conflict, in addition to the social, political and environmental determinants which impact health and well-being throughout the Region.

The Commission has recommended key policy actions to address health inequities and promote social justice and fairness.

Their report covers the following topics: 

  • Health inequities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 
  • COVID-19 and health inequalities 
  • Conflict and consequences and migration 
  • Economic drivers and health equity 
  • Culture and society 
  • Climate change, the natural environment and health equity 
  • Equity in maternal and child health, the early years and education 
  • Working lives and health equity 
  • Healthy ageing 
  • Built environments and health equity 
  • Health systems for health equity 
  • Governance and taking action to build back fairer. 

commissioner-pictures

Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health

Related links

Executive brief: Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

COVID-19 pandemic: a unique opportunity to ‘build back fairer’ and reduce health inequities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
[commentary in Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal by Ahmed Al-Mandhari, Michael Marmot, Abdul Ghaffar, Rana Hajjeh, Jessica Allen, Wasiq Khan and Maha El-Adawy]

Build Back Fairer: Achieving Health Equity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO
[commentary in the Lancet by Michael Marmot, Ahmed Al-Mandhari, Abdul Ghaffar, Rana Hajjeh, Maha El-Adawy, Wasiq Khan and Jessica Allen] 

Al Ahram: Health equity paves the way to recover from the pandemic

Al Sharq AlAwsat: Health equity is an opportunity to rebuild a more equal place in the Eastern Mediterranean [Arabic]

Al-Arabiya news: COVID-19 pandemic creates opportunities to ‘Build Back Fairer’ | Arabic

Webinar on the report of the Regional Commission on Social Determinants of Health: building back fairer 

Press release: Report Launch of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English | Arabic | French

For further information, please contact:

Health Promotion and Social Determinants of Health Programme
Division of Healthier Populations
WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
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