This report is one of the first deliverables by the Health Equity Monitoring System (SVES), which was designed and implemented with the support of the EUROsociAL cooperation programme of the European Union.

The meeting—inaugurated by Susana Muñiz Jiménez, Minister of Public Health; Daniel Olesker, Minister of Social Development; Juan Fernández Trigo, Head of the European Union Delegation in Uruguay; and Pedro Flores Urbano, Director of the FIIAPP—brought together the principal Uruguayan institutions participating on an intersectoral basis in health policy: the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Social Development, the Office of Planning and Budgeting, the National Institute of Statistics and the e-Government and Information Society Agency. The purpose was to share with them the conclusions of the first report and receive their comments and input to continue improving the system. This participatory methodology characterised the entire SVES evaluation process.

Conceived of as a key tool for reorienting the entire health policy, the SVES is making Uruguay's strong commitment to improving health, one of the pillars of the reform started a few years back, a reality. This commitment involves reducing inequity, i.e. unjust inequality in healthcare, related to disparities in resources (economic, social, cultural) and power.

The report highlights that, while national coverage of health services nearly doubled in the 2006-2013 period, significant gaps continue to exist in health based on ethnic group, gender and territory. It also indicates especially relevant sectoral and intersectoral areas for implementing equity policies. 

During the event, Elena Clavell, Director General of the Integrated National Health System, underlined the support of EUROsociAL in building the system, reiterating the following challenges: 1) utilising the SVES to formulate more equitable health policies; 2) building an intersectoral agenda with all the stakeholders to be able to impact all the social determinants of health; 3) raising the awareness of citizens to improve lifestyles and living conditions.

The event also included a space for reflection led by Rita Ferrelli, of the Italian national institute for health and EUROsociAL operational partner; the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, which presented intersectoral policy experiences in reducing inequity in both Europe and Latin America; and by Oscar Cetrángolo, member of the EUROsociAL Steering Committee, who addressed reorientation of policies and reallocation of expenditure to improve equity.

The Uruguayan Ministry of Health will incorporate the feedback from the event, and in coming weeks the report will be available on its website: http://www.msp.gub.uy/