Other Resources

While the notion of social determinants of health is hardly new, vast research evidence is now being brought to the forefront by leading health authorities, policy makers and advocacy groups. For example:

• In February 2008, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched a two-year non-partisan Commission to Build a Healthier America, co-chaired by Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, and Alice Rivlin, PhD, of the Brookings Institution. Through a series of public hearings, data analysis and reports, the commission is highlighting social factors that affect health, promoting policy change and encouraging public and private-sector initiatives to reduce health inequities. It is the first national, consensus-seeking organization to explore solutions outside the medical care system (www.commissiononhealth.org).
• The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health recently released its final report, including a comprehensive review of the latest evidence and global recommendations for action (www.who.int/social_determinants/en/).
• “Unnatural Causes,” a PBS 4-hour documentary series detailing social determinants and inequalities in health, premiered nationwide in March 2008. Public screenings and community forums are ongoing, sponsored by government, schools, medical institutions, business and civic organizations at the local, state and national level (www.unnaturalcauses.org).