What Can Be Done About Inequalities in Health?

Abstract

A mountain of evidence has accumulated on the issue of inequalities in health. The existence and the extensive nature of the problem have been described in several European countries, including lately those in the centre and east of the region. This widespread evidence shows systematic and avoidable differences among social, ethnic, and geographic groups in the population in terms of both health status and access to, uptake of, and quality of health care. Many of these differences are also unjust and unfair.