Monitoring and reducing health inequalities: a case from Lithuania

Abstract

Socioeconomic inequalities in health and health care are important challenges for public health. Systematic inequalities in morbidity, mortality, health services use and accessibility between socioeconomic groups exist in most of the countries. However, the vast of scientific data suggest, that these inequalities are more expressed in countries in transitions. In terms of health inequalities, Lithuania appears in the range of the countries with the most unfavourable situation. In 2014, the Lithuanian Parliament approved the Lithuanian Health Programme 2014-2025. One of strategic goals of this programme is to reduce health and health care inequalities in Lithuania. For achieving the reduction of inequalities, Lithuania has started to implement the project „Development of the Model for the Strengthening of the Capacities to Identify and Reduce Health Inequalities“. This project is financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009–2014 Programme “Public Health Initiatives” and will be implemented in 2014-2017 by Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vilnius University, Klaipeda University and the Institute of Hygiene. The project is aimed at development an evidence based platform for health and health care inequalities monitoring and strengthening administrative capacities of persons involved in the policy making at national and municipal levels. As project is in the process of implementation since June 2014, some results can already be identified. The unified system for health inequalities monitoring has been developed. This system provides detailed guidelines for collecting of routine health statistics (as mortality and morbidity indicators) and performing life-style surveys for adults and schoolchildren populations. These guidelines include a “step-by-step” type instructions for identification of study population, sampling, collecting data, questionnaires etc. It is expected, that these guidelines