Healthier Prosperous Lives for All

The WHO European Health Equity Status Report initiative  is working to address these inequities in Europe by promoting and supporting policy action. The initiative, which brings together the WHO and the 53 European member states, aims to collect the different lessons that have been learned across the region, as well as successful examples of promising practice, with the end goal of supporting policies that increase equity in health.

Over the long term, the initiative seeks to improve health and well-being for all and to make sure that no one is left behind. Through national and regional collaboration, the initiative is looking to:

• Strengthen the equity impact of health sector policies and services
• Increase the impact of cross-sectoral policies for health equity
• Improve governance to better tackle the roots of exclusion, stigma, and discrimination
• Build alliances and advocate for better investments for healthier lives for all

Moving these messages forward requires policy action and a commitment from decision makers. There is no single policy solution for bringing about the conditions that would allow everyone to lead a healthy and prosperous life. Rather, a combination of policy interventions can help scale up action on health equity. The Health Equity Status Report initiative looks to focus specifically on five policy action areas:

• Health Services
• Income Security and Social Protection
• Living Conditions
• Social and Human Capital
• Employment and Working Conditions

By bringing member states across the WHO European Region together and providing them with the necessary tools, the initiative seeks to cultivate conditions that allow each nation to prosper and flourish. Working together, advocates and policymakers can reduce barriers and foster the necessary conditions to achieve greater health equity.