“It will be December before you know it” I remember saying all throughout the year, and still I find myself surprised by how quickly it came around. Luckily, the end of the year falls in a time that is perfect for contemplation. The dark and cold days of the winter months are perfect to both reflect on the year that has been, and to look ahead at the year that is to come. This time around, that pivotal moment is health equity-themed, which is quite fitting given that it touches on all of EPHA’s work in diverse ways.
When it comes to our activities on health equity, this year was marked by significant momentum. We are particularly proud of the developments in the DisQo Stakeholder Network. Since its establishment in October 2022, we have expanded to over 70 members, hosted 3 webinars, released a joint statement, and held a successful event titled ‘Racism, discrimination, and health: a human rights-based approach.’ The event brought together stakeholders spanning from the local to the European and international level and was a significant step forward in putting racism and discrimination in health on the policy agenda. The recordings are available, so definitely check it out of you have missed the event. Importantly, it would not have been possible without the valuable cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); a cooperation we will remain committed to in 2024.
What we have achieved with our members and with DisQo is emblematic for our mission to raise awareness and drive policy action on the Social Determinants of Health; non-medical factors that have profound effects on our health, such as place of birth, educational background, type of employment, or even the colour of our skin. To make these determinants more tangible, we released an infographic in June, and shared testimonies of people facing health inequities directly. On the latter, the most recent example is a blog written by Siófra Kelleher on being diagnosed and living with diabetes in a rural area.
To further deepen our knowledge on health inequities, we proudly feature guest articles from our members and partners. Read for example about the intersection of homelessness and cancer inequity in a piece written by FEANTSA, the status quo of Roma inclusion policy on the EU level, or on the national level about the difficulties faced by Roma in Ireland in accessing healthcare or social support, in an overview provided by Cairde. We also released testimonies throughout the year in the People Behind the Numbers video series, an approach which will be carried over into 2024 to cover an even wider range of topics. Accounts like these articles and videos are crucial to raise awareness and drive change in public health policy. We will continue to raise these voices in 2024 to ensure that such policy leaves no one behind, especially those that are too often pushed to the margins.
While contemplating the past year and preparing for the coming one, we realise the importance of sometimes taking a moment to slow down and reflect on whether our activities align with our goals. Naturally, we are very excited to keep advocating for good and equitable public health next year with you and want to wish you a lovely and reinvigorating holiday season. Still, do try to take a breather because before you know it, we will find ourselves in December again.