The Social Determinants of Health: An Overview of the Implications for Policy and the Role of the Health Sector

In late 2002, 400 social and health policy experts, community representatives, and health researchers met at York University at a conference entitled “Social Determinants of Health Across the Life-Span”. The purpose of the conference was to consider the state of key social determinants of health (SDOH) across Canada, explore the implications for the health of Canadians, and discuss policy directions to strengthen these social determinants of health. This overview is based on the papers and presentations from the conference, including an overview presentation by Dennis Raphael.