How are socioeconomic determinants of health relevant to countries in the WHO European Region?
In WHO’s European region, there is a health divide, both between and within countries. Some countries are not improving their health record. In fact, life expectancy today in the Russian Federation, for instance, is lower than it was 40 years ago. This is because overarching policies have focussed on ensuring economic growth and increasing capital, not on improving population health. In some of these countries, there has been increased economic growth in parallel to decreasing life expectancies. This means that the benefits of growth are only reaching a small pocket of the population, i.e. those people already in high-income socioeconomic groups. The expansion of the European Union has generally been very positive in pushing countries to improve their health records. Countries that are preparing to join have made positive adjustments in their policies. However, health inequities persist in the EU. In Western Europe, we still see a social patterning of health outcomes. People in high-in
