About Our Work

Building Networks

Building and Supporting Health Equity Networks

The UCL Institute of Health Equity builds, convenes and supports global networks, working to decrease health inequities through action on the social determinants of health. UCL IHE is part of several global networks which support, monitor and advance action on health equity.

The Institute supports and encourages the international momentum behind the social determinants of health approach and will continue to develop these networks and foster action through:

  • Advocacy activities;  
  • Development of the evidence base by partnering on research, evaluation, monitoring and reviews;
  • Development of policy and interventions that tackle health inequalities;
  • Building capacity and knowledge within health systems and across sectors. 

The Institute is working with organisations, countries, regions and cities across the world to assess and implement actions to tackle health inequalities.  

Global Regional Networks

UCL IHE has worked with and/or continue to work with the following organisations:

WHO - The Institute has collaborated on a number of projects  with WHO, developing a global network on health inequity and producing the Review of Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region.  

In May 2021  UCL IHE collaborated with WHO on a multi-country Special Initiative for Action on Social Determinants of Heath for Advancing Equity.

EMRO - Michael Marmot chaired the Regional Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, established in November 2019 to review health inequities in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region .  The Executive Brief Report  and Executive Summary Report were published in March 2021.

PAHO  - Michael Marmot chaired the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) 'Commission on Equity and Health Inequalities in the Americas', which addressed the need to reduce inequalities in health.  UCL IHE and the Cross Cutting Themes (CCTs) group at PAHO acted as the Secretariat for the Commission.  The Commission presented a final report in October 2019.

WMA - as President 2015-2016, and as president of the BMA the preceding year, Marmot Michael, used the opportunity to promote the role of doctors, and other health professionals more broadly, in addressing social determinants of health, building on our report Working for Health Equity: The Role of Health Professionals and producing a new report Doctors for Health Equity - World Medical Association Report.

Health Gaen - Growing out of the work of the CSDH, Michael Marmot and Sharon Friel developed the concept of Global Action for Health Equity Network (Health Gaen). Coordinated from ANU there is now an Asian Pacific network of Health Gaen.  The UCL Institute collaborates with Health Gaen to further momentum for a developing global network.

EU - The Institute worked as a partner on an number of EU programmes, including a number of Horizon 2020 programmes that have social determinants and health equity at thier core:

UK & Ireland National Networks

UK & Ireland Public Health Collaborative - The UK & Ireland Collaborative was a partnership between the UCL Institute of Health Equity and public health and government bodies in the UK and Ireland:

Its purpose was to work in collaboration to support and sustain action on the social determinants of health and act as a knowledge exchange and advocacy movement to improve population health and reduce health inequalities across the UK and Ireland.

The collaboration organised large symposium events that focused on key policy areas. Each event was co-organised and co-hosted by one region and the UCL IHE. 

Events included:

  • Family Adversity: Children, Young People and the Next Generation  
  • Why Good Work Matters: The Role of Good Quality Work in Reducing Health Inequalities.

In addition to events, the collaboration meets to learn from others, to network, and to discuss promising opportunities for action.

 

Marmot Cities - is a network of local authorities in England, working in-depth to develop a 'Marmot' approach. Cities include:

  • Coventry
  • Stoke
  • Newcastle
  • Gateshead
  • Bristol
  • Somerset

 

More about what we do: