Commission on Social Determinants of Health, 2005-2008

The Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) was established by WHO in March 2005 to support countries and global health partners in addressing the social factors leading to ill health and health inequities. The Commission aimed to draw the attention of governments and society to the social determinants of health and in creating better social conditions for health, particularly among the most vulnerable people. The Commission delivered its final report to the World Health Organization in July 2008 and it subsequently ended its functions.

The overarching recommendations of the Commission were:

1. Improve daily living conditions;
2. Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources;
3. Measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action.

In order to achieve its goals, the Commission on Social Determinants of Health focused on the following:

• Country action
  The Commission supported some countries to develop policies that address the social causes of poor health and inequities.
• Civil society
  Civil society organizations from all regions provided vital inputs to the Commission's work.
• Knowledge networks
  The networks collated knowledge and evidence to support policy design and action.