VCOSS

Health inequalities

According to the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) the most significant and persistent inequalities in health In Victoria can be seen when comparing the health of people with differences in education level, occupation, income, employment and area of residence. There are also marked differences in health between people who are from different ethnic or Indigenous backgrounds, and who have different physical or mental abilities.

In order to turn health inequalities around, a broad health and equity framework, based on the social model of health, is required.

A health and equity framework would guide government planning and decision making across departments to ensure that actions taken across government promote health equity. Such a framework would need to focus on more than health services, and also consider broader factors that impact on health and wellbeing, such as education, housing, availability of transport, and employment.

An increased focus on prevention and early intervention supports to prevent people getting sick needs to be an integral component of any health and equity framework.

Victorian Health Inequalities Network
VCOSS and Monash University are co-convenors of the VicHealth-funded Victorian Health Inequalities Network. The aims of the Network are to disseminate knowledge about health inequalities, consolidate cross-sectoral partnerships and collaborative activity to address inequalities, and importantly, to identify policy actions to reduce health inequalities in Victoria. Find out more about the Victorian Health Inequalities Network.

Professor Richard Wilkinson visit

VCOSS, VicHealth and The McCaughey Centre, University of Melbourne, recently held a seminar with Prof. Richard Wilkinson, Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology, University of Nottingham, author of The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better.

Click here to view forum flyer

Click here to download Richard Wilkinson’s presentation (4.4MB)