| Summary: | The Norwegian strategy for reducing health inequalities
from 2007 has been recognised as one of the most ambitious and encompassing
in Europe. By proposing action on the social determinants of health,
such as income structure, employment opportunities and affordable
child-care, the strategy was able to approach the entire social
gradient rather than just the socially disadvantaged. In this article,
we present the main features of the health equity strategy, and
discuss possible obstacles to a successful implementation and a
prolonged commitment to reducing health inequalities in Norway.
We raise three major concerns: 1) a stubborn fundamental inequality
structure, 2) a lack of focus on the gradient in the implementation
of cross-sectoral reforms and 3) a possible re-orientation of policy
away from redistribution and universalism.
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