Download the final 'Closing the Gap' publication: Taking Action on Health Equity.
This publication contains summaries of what each of the 21 ´Closing the Gap´ partners are doing to address health inequalities in their countries, as well as the conclusions and recommendations of this 3-year initiative.
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In this section main tools used to implement and monitor national policies in the field of health inequalities are listed.
Health Conferences
The health conference on the prevention of tobacco, alcohol and drugs aimed to develop a new health target on the prevention of tobacco, alcohol and drugs (2006). For further information, click here. The development of an Action Plan in follow up to the conference and with involvement of other relevant sectors (education, profit sector, youth, sports and leisure sector, welfare and health care sector) is ongoing. For further information, click here.
While there is no evidence/feedback at this moment to suggest that the use of this tool is contributing to a reduction of health inequalities, the Action Plan on the prevention of suicide (2006-2010) was developed in follow up to the health conference on the prevention of suicide in 2002 and focuses on specific risk groups. In the framework of the Flemish Action Plan to combat poverty the promotion of mental health is one of the main points of interest for deprived groups (in the VAP 2005-2009, in the VAP 2007 and in the VAP 2008).
In Belgium, the Service for the Fight Against Poverty, Insecurity, and Social Exclusion (established in 1998) is a public body entrusted with the permanent monitoring and dialogue between public authorities (across all levels of government), civil society and associations of people experiencing poverty and exclusion.
The Flemish Action Plan to Combat Poverty contains both horizontal and vertical consultation processes. In the horizontal consultation, representatives of people living in poverty (Flemish network), civil servants and a number of experts design, coordinate and monitor the measures in the plan. At least twice a year, this is supplemented by a vertical consultation in each policy department between the competent minister, the ministry, the “associations in which the poor have a say” and the field of activity.
Explicit funding for health inequalities was most frequently reported where there was a strategic focus in this area. Other funding mechanisms include those which focus on vulnerable communities.