The Social Determinants and Healthy Settings (SDH) unit works with Member States and partners across the Western Pacific Region to address the social, economic and commercial determinants that shape health and health equity.

Through national and local governance strengthening, multisectoral collaboration, community engagement and evidence for action, the unit supports countries to create healthier environments, strengthen inclusive health and social systems, and reduce health inequities across populations and communities.

This is achieved through:

• Strengthening national and local governance and leadership for action on the social determinants of health, by providing advocacy, technical support and capacity building to help countries integrate gender equality and health equity into national and local policies, strategies and planning, while ensuring human rights.
• Facilitating intersectoral collaboration, by supporting countries to convene stakeholders across sectors, promote healthy settings such as schools, cities and islands, align policies and programmes, and implement coordinated actions that address the social, economic and commercial drivers of poor health and health inequities.
• Promoting community engagement, by working with Member States and partners to strengthen inclusive context-based approaches that empower communities and support health and social systems to reach vulnerable populations – including Indigenous Peoples, migrants and refugees, and sexual and gender minorities.
• Strengthening data, monitoring and accountability for health equity, by supporting countries to generate and use disaggregated data, implement population- and settings-based surveys, and translate evidence into policy and programme action, including preventing gender-based violence and violence against children.