Among the publications recognized by The British Medical Association’s 2011 Medical Book Awards,
"Equity, Social Determinants and Public Health Programmes" received the top award in the Public Health category. UCSF’s Laura Schmidt, PhD, MSW, MPH, was the lead author for the workgroup evaluating worldwide evidence on how to reduce inequities in alcohol problems. Laura Schmidt is a professor in residence and co-director of the Community Engagement and Health Policy program under UCSF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).
The product of the UN/WHO Commission on Social Determinant of Health, a major global scientific initiative to address international health disparities, "Equity" evaluates evidence for successes and failures in public health interventions for disparities in specific health issues. In the publication, Schmidt makes a strong case for taxation and related economic approaches as most effective.
"We've been studying health disparities for a long time, but doing less to help governments and communities figure out ways to fix the problem,” Schmidt said. “This book is the first systematic effort to examine the whole body of evidence on what does and doesn't work if you want to actually close the gap in health disparities. For community groups, as well as nation states and global health bodies, it's a practical ‘how to’ guide on the best ways to intervene in a wide range of health inequities.”
The publication is also being used to support the San Francisco Health Improvement Partnerships (SFHIP), a collaborative effort between CTSI and a wide range of community partners focused on achieving measurable health improvements in San Francisco.
CTSI at UCSF is a member of the national, NIH-funded CTSA network focusing on accelerating research to improve health. CTSI’s Community Engagement and Health Policy program offers resources and services for both researchers and for community partners.