The convergence of three major issues could make long-standing health inequities even more severe. Two years after the pandemic emerged, COVID-19 and global migration emergencies continue to affect society. At the same time, the health of the planet is deteriorating, and trust in our most established institutions is eroding. These developments have disproportionately affected people who have been historically and continually marginalized and who suffer from poorer health overall than other parts of the population as a result of structural flaws and bias.
In response, The Global Health Equity Network (GHEN) was launched in September 2021 at the World Economic Forum. GHEN has a mandate to shape a healthier and more inclusive world by convening executive leaders across sectors and geographies to commit to prioritizing action towards health equity as core to any organization across industries.
Demand is increasing for businesses and their leaders to be transparent and accountable for equitable health generation as part of their social impact within their environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, much as at the beginning of the climate change movement. However, even with this increased demand, the importance of health equity and the impact of all businesses on health is unclear is still widely misunderstood. This is because measuring health equity remains a challenge, with limited standardization, varying guidance and unclear alignment to ESG reporting and metrics.
This paper outlines the results of a global survey of 42 cross-industry CXOs9 conducted between November 2021 and March 2022 and highlights the opportunities and barriers for leaders to consider when embarking on strategies to embed health equity into their ESG strategies. (author introduction)