News item | 18-02-2022 | 14:00
The government will ask the SER for advice on the relationship between health differences and the socio-economic status of citizens. Citizens with a low socio-economic status more often have health problems and a lower life expectancy. The government considers these health differences undesirable from a moral and economic point of view. It therefore asks the SER to issue advice before the end of 2022 on measures that the cabinet could take to tackle health inequalities.
Health problems are often part of underlying problems such as debt, poverty, low literacy and unemployment. Reason for the cabinet to ask the SER to take a broad look at the areas where many of these causes converge: the labor market, the social security system and the social domain. The way in which policy functions within and between these areas affects people’s health. The cabinet would also like to know from the SER how the social partners themselves can contribute to the prevention of health inequalities.
The cabinet will ask the SER to actively involve municipalities and the SER Youth Platform in the advice.