A Case Study about Dialogue on Intersectoral Action
In the last decade, social and health inequalities have moved to the centre of the policy environment in New Zealand. From an absence of general discussion about disparities between groups, awareness has increased to the extent that inequalities are now a significant part of the political debate for the major political parties and central to the policy development and monitoring frameworks, particularly in the health sector.
This paper considers how this development has occurred with regard to health and presents initial indicators of the progress made, exploring why New Zealand chose to act on health inequalities and how this has been implemented. The paper provides a brief overview of health inequalities in New Zealand followed by a discussion of relevant local literature and tools to address these inequalities. Intersectoral action as part of a ‘whole of government’ approach to inequalities has been a key element of implementation efforts, and an intersectoral housing project to improve health is described to illustrate this. The paper concludes with a consideration of the impact of the policy attention to inequalities and further challenges for New Zealand to continue progress in this area. Keep reading…