Norwegian policies to reduce social inequities in health: Developments and challenges. A qualitative case study

Abstract

Although health inequities have increasingly been acknowledged as an urgent public health challenge in all European countries, the health gap still widens, while there remains a lack of knowledge about how to effectively tackle social inequities in health (SIH). Responding to this knowledge gap, the present thesis investigates Norwegian policies to reduce SIH, after that the Norwegian government has put the reduction of SIH on the political agenda in 2005. Through the examination of the Norwegian case and recent vital political developments, such as the adoption of the new Public health act, this thesis hopes to contribute to the identification of effective political strategies to reduce SIH.