In 2008, WHO’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health noted that “social injustice is killing on a grand scale.” This claim has never been more relevant than during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts of which have been felt so unequally around the world. In this context, the Member States of WHO, in resolution 74.16 of the Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly in 2021, requested the Director-General “to foster and facilitate knowledge exchange among Member States and relevant stakeholders on best practices for intersectoral action on the social, economic and environmental determinants of health in order to achieve health equity and gender equality for all.”  Currently, knowledge exchange between countries and other stakeholders on social determinants of health often occurs on a bilateral basis, which can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for broader collaboration and exchange. WHO established the Global Knowledge Network for Health Equity (GKNHE) to address these issues.

GKNHE aims to:

• foster collaboration through a platform that connects stakeholders, partners, and existing networks;
• empower champions and technical officials in countries tasked with addressing the social determinants of health equity;
• facilitate knowledge exchange on strategic frameworks, policy and implementation challenges and solutions, measurement considerations, and the latest WHO technical guidance;
• spur action on the social determinants of health equity by enabling dialogue around and implementation of the upcoming WHO World report on the social determinants of health equity; and
• offer targeted support through dedicated work streams for practitioners addressing the social determinants of health.

Membership will primarily include WHO Member States through government officials who are tasked with coordinating actions on social determinants of health equity at a national level. Over time, the intention is to expand membership to local actors and champions, civil society organizations, and academic institutions. 

In 2024, GKNHE is set to:

• host a minimum of three webinars and three capacity building sessions;
• showcase case studies highlighting effective practices and processes;
• produce a consolidated review detailing knowledge-sharing experiences; 
• create and distribute educational materials, including fact sheets, brochures, infographics and audio-visual testimonies; and
• draft a 5-year work plan with clear succession planning.