Tackling health inequalities in Lithuania: from research to practice

Abstract

Introduction. Systematic inequalities in morbidity, mortality, health services use and accessibility between socio-economic groups exist in most of countries. However, 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 the European Union. In 2014, the Lithuanian Parliament approved the Lithuanian Health Strategy 2014–2025 with a strategic goal to reduce health and healthcare inequalities in Lithuania. In order to facilitate in tackling health inequalities, the project “Development of the Model for Strengthening of the Capacities to Identify and Reduce Health Inequalities” has been launched. Aim. The aim of the study to introduce with the process and results of the project. Material and Methods. This project has been run by Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vilnius University, Klaipeda University and the Institute of Hygiene and financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009–2014 Programme “Public Health Initiatives”. It commenced in 2014 and completed in 2017. Its aim was to develop the evidence-based platform for health and healthcare inequalities monitoring and strengthening administrative capacities of persons involved in the policy making at national and municipal levels. Results. The system for monitoring health inequalities in Lithuania has been developed. This system includes a set of guidelines for collecting health inequalities data and web-based platform for presentation of this information. These guidelines include instructions for collection of routine health statistics and performing life-style surveys for adults and schoolchildren. All collected data can be publicly accessed through a newly developed web-based health inequalities presentation platform “SveNAS” (http://svenas.lt). [...]