National health inequality monitoring: a step-by-step manual

Overview

The manual was designed as a highly accessible, practical reference to encourage and strengthen the practice of health inequality monitoring. Additionally, the manual aims to foster regular reporting of inequalities across diverse health topics, and promote greater integration of health inequality considerations in policies, programmes and practices.

The manual is organized according to a flow chart, which shows the steps and sub-steps of the health inequality monitoring cycle, with key questions and itemized checklists of data requirements, analysis/reporting activities and/or decision points. Relevant examples and resources, including sample table templates and recommended readings, are provided for further exploration.

While the manual focuses on health at the national level, the step-by-step approach may be applied to monitor inequalities within any defined population, ranging from a community context to a multinational context.