Creating child-inclusive societies.

In a global landscape defined by polycrisis, children are being failed. To address this failure, we ask an ambitious yet fundamental question: how do we create child-inclusive societies where every child thrives and has the best start in life, where intergenerational disadvantage is redressed, and where child poverty is ended? Building on the power of the social determinants of health in advancing equity and human wellbeing, we argue that child inclusiveness requires three foundational actions linked to the political, commercial, and social determinants of health: (1) prioritising implementation of transformative collaboration between policy makers, public bodies, and communities to improve outcomes for children; (2) reclaiming the public good through child-centred regulatory frameworks that aim to deliver health care and improve wellbeing; and (3) valuing the time to care for children and to build meaningful and responsive relationships with them. With innovative thinking about our societies and their core values, we can design child-inclusive interventions and derive relevant metrics and indicators to track progress.

The impact of social isolation on functional disability in older people: A multi-cohort study.

Objectives: We assessed the relationship between social isolation and functional disability in older people.

Design: Comparison of longitudinal cohort studies.

Setting And Participants: Harmonised longitudinal datasets from the United States, England, European countries, Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong.

The associations of physical incapacity and wealth with remaining in paid employment after age 60 in five middle-income and high-income countries.

Previous studies on health and socioeconomic determinants of later-life labour force participation have mainly come from high-income European countries and the United States of America (USA). Findings vary between studies due to different measures of socioeconomic status and labour force outcomes. This study investigated longitudinal associations of physical incapacity and wealth with remaining in paid employment after age 60 in middle- and high-income countries.

Secular trends of life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy at age 65 and associated gender and area-level socioeconomic inequalities in Hong Kong: a serial cross-sectional study between 2007 and 2020.

Background: Despite Hong Kong's world leading longevity, little is known about its associated disability burden and social patterning. Hence, this study assessed the gender-specific secular trends and area-level inequalities in life expectancy (LE) and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) at age 65 in Hong Kong.

Methods: Population structure, death records, and disability data in 2007, 2013, and 2020 were retrieved from the Census and Statistics Department to estimate LE and DFLE using the Sullivan Method.

Experience of South and Southeast Asian minority women in Hong Kong during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

Background: Hong Kong has a relatively low incidence rate of COVID-19 across the globe. Nevertheless, ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, especially South Asians (SAs) and Southeast Asians (SEAs), face numerous physical, mental, social, economic, cultural and religious challenges during the pandemic. This study explores the experiences of SA and SEA women in a predominantly Chinese metropolitan city.

From health inequalities to health justice in 50 years.

In the following discussion, we present a quick conceptual history of healthy equity and health justice, some plausible outcomes from the Covid-19 pandemic for the public's understanding of these concepts, and some recent and relevant learnings for realizing equity and justice that could be useful for dental public health and beyond.

Monitoring socioeconomic inequalities in health in Hong Kong: insights and lessons from the UK and Australia.

In many developed countries such as the UK and Australia, addressing socioeconomic inequalities in health is a priority in their policy agenda, with well-established practices and authorities to collect and link selected health and social indicators for long-term monitoring. Nonetheless, the monitoring of socioeconomic inequalities in health in Hong Kong remains in a piecemeal manner. Also, the common international practice to monitor inequalities at area level appears to be unsuitable in Hong Kong due to its small, compact, and highly interconnected built environment that limits the variation of neighbourhood deprivation level.

Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality between and within countries in Europe: a population-based study.

Background: Reducing socioeconomic inequalities in cancer is a priority for the public health agenda. A systematic assessment and benchmarking of socioeconomic inequalities in cancer across many countries and over time in Europe is not yet available.

Methods: Census-linked, whole-of-population cancer-specific mortality data by socioeconomic position, as measured by education level, and sex were collected, harmonized, analysed, and compared across 18 countries during 1990-2015, in adults aged 40-79.

Action on the social determinants for advancing health equity in the time of COVID-19: perspectives of actors engaged in a WHO Special Initiative.

Since the 2008 publication of the reports of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health and its nine knowledge networks, substantial research has been undertaken to document and describe health inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for a deeper understanding of, and broader action on, the social determinants of health. Building on this unique and critical opportunity, the World Health Organization is steering a multi-country Initiative to reduce health inequities through an action-learning process in 'Pathfinder' countries.

Taking one step further: five equity principles for hospitals to increase their value as anchor institutions.

Hospitals have the potential to create value beyond the direct clinical care that they provide through tackling the social determinants of health as an 'anchor institution': shifting the way in which they employ staff; procure goods and services; use their physical and environmental resources and assets; and partner with others. However, the societal value of this work is not automatically or accidentally created, it must be intentionally designed and delivered, particularly if it is to tackle inequities. This article proposes five equity principles for healthcare leaders to consider in their hospitals' anchor institution work.