THEnet is thrilled to unveil our latest work, developed through the USAID-funded Local Health System Sustainability Project (LHSS). This publication showcases the critical role of integrating a social determinants of health (SDOH) perspective into health system strengthening.
Why does it matter? Without tackling the root causes behind health inequities — health systems can’t achieve fair outcomes. Moreover, structural discrimination — systematic disadvantages based on age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, etc.—further skews the equity and quality of care. Addressing SDOH is also critical if we want to develop equitable climate-resilient health systems.
Access and affordability aren’t enough if care doesn’t meet the actual needs and challenges people face. Ignoring a patient’s unique circumstances can lead to uneven care and discrimination. Through hashtagLHSS, we’ve also developed a brief on key SDOH-related competencies for care providers. Check it out at https://bit.ly/3St9a8y
The brief’s case studies on maternal and child health highlight that applying an SDOH lens to both system and specific program-level interventions can shift the focus towards more holistic, people-centered, and life-course-oriented approaches.
