The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) welcomes the report by the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health of the World Health Organization (WHO), published on 28 August 2008. We note the clear statement of the Commission that "social injustice is killing people on a grand scale". IFSW agrees that biology does not explain the enormous differences in life expectancy, but that the differences are the result of the social environment in which people live. Good health and well-being therefore requires sound social policies as well as effective health care.
IFSW endorses the three overarching recommendations of the Commission to tackle the effects of inequality of life chances:
1. Improve daily living conditions, including the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age
2. Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources - the structural drivers of those conditions - globally, nationally and locally.
3. Measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action.
IFSW has just concluded a consultation with the global social work community, approving a new policy on Social Work and Health at the IFSW General Meeting in mid-August. A key component of this new policy is that health is a fundamental human right and an issue of social justice. All people should have an equal right to enjoy the basic conditions that underpin human health. IFSW will demand and continue to work for the realization of the universal rights to access resources and services that promote health and address illness, injury and impairment, including social services. Socially just health and social policies must be developed, articulated and pursued.
IFSW has highlighted 7 issues that are central to the contribution of social work to people’s health:
1. Health is a key aspect of all fields of social work – practice, education, research and policy-making – and in all settings.
2. Health is not merely the absence of disease, it encompasses physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing.
3. Health is a central dimension of people’s lives.
4. Health is an issue of fundamental human rights.
5. Health status is primarily determined by social, economic, environmental and political conditions and is an issue of social equality and justice.
6. Securing and sustaining health depends on local, national and global health and social policies and practices.
7. Securing and sustaining health depends on the concerted actions of international institutions, governments, civil society and peoples.
David N Jones, IFSW President, said “the World Health Organization must now work with national governments to implement the recommendations of this report. It is one of the most important international statements to be published for many years. It could help transform the health and well-being of millions around the world, but only if we all work to make it happen.”
The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) has since its original establishment in 1928 been the representative body of professional social workers globally. Today, IFSW represents social work associations in 90 countries with a total membership of more than 745 000 social workers. Special consultative status has been granted by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). In addition, IFSW is working with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Habitat and others.
Read about the WHO report
Read IFSW's new policy paper on health and social work
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