A workshop jointly hosted by the Office of Health Reform and the Health Promotion Branch within the Department of Health, held on Friday, February 17, 2006 at the Entertainment Centre.
The workshop was attended by over 150 people from across the health portfolio, other government departments and the community sector.

The purpose of the workshop was to:

• provide an orientation to health equity concepts
• give an overview of social health data in relation to the health targets within South Australia’s Strategic Plan
• begin to identify how the health portfolio can act to tackle health inequities.

PRESENTATIONS BY KEY SPEAKERS (Adobe PDF)

• Promoting Equity: general approaches and specific actions

Peter Sainsbury, Director Community Health and Director, Population Health, Sydney South West Area Health Service

Presentation was about general approaches and specific actions to promote equity from within the health sector.

• South Australia’s Strategic Plan targets and inequality

John Glover, Director Public Health Development Unit, University of Adelaide, and
Di Hetzel, Senior Researcher, Public Health Development Unit, University of Adelaide

Data was presented on the social gradient in relation to South Australia’s Strategic Plan (SASP) targets and key areas were identified for investment to address inequity.

• Aboriginal Health Improvement – Evidence Based Planning

Rob O’Brien, Senior Project Officer, South Australian Health Partnership and Zell Dodd, Director Aboriginal Health Services, Southern Adelaide Health Service

Presentation was about Evidence Based Aboriginal Health Improvement Planning with reference to the report Aboriginal Health – Everybody’s Business, Knowing the Business, Aboriginal Health Indicators, 2005

• Engaging with the community to address inequity

Jeff Tryens, Executive Director, South Australia’s Strategic Plan: Community Connection, Department of the Premier and Cabinet

An overview of the forthcoming community consultation process for the SASP was provided.

• Equity and Social Determinants of Health – An International Perspective.
  Progress from the WHO’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health

Professor Fran Baum, Head of Public Health, Flinders University and a Commissioner,
Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organisation

A progress report on the WHO, Commission on the Social Determinants of Health was given.

• Peter Sainsbury also provided relevant background information on health equity

Evaluation feedback was very positive for all of the presentations with those by Peter Sainsbury, Jeff Tryens and Professor Fran Baum found to be particularly useful.