WHO Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT)
The WHO Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) is a software tool that helps countries explore and compare health inequalities across different population groups. It uses existing health data to show differences in health outcomes based on factors like income, education, and where people live, helping policymakers identify who is being left behind and where action is needed.
At a glance
Use when
Conducting national or subnational health inequality assessments, especially in low- and middle-income countries; supporting policy development focused on health equity; generating reports for monitoring progress toward equitable health outcomes
Avoid when
Analyzing non-maternal or non-child health topics; when user-specific or non-standardized data sources must be integrated (in current version); when real-time data analysis with custom indicators is required
Inputs
Preloaded data from the WHO Health Equity Monitor database; future versions planned to support user-uploaded datasets
Outputs
Disaggregated health data visualizations, summary measures of inequality (e.g., difference, ratio, population attributable risk, concentration index), customizable reports for policy use
How it works
HEAT is a desktop software application developed by the World Health Organization between 2014 and 2016. It integrates the WHO Health Equity Monitor database and enables users to analyze inequalities in over 30 reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health indicators across five dimensions: economic status, education, place of residence, subnational region, and child's sex (where applicable). The tool computes summary measures of health inequality and visualizes disaggregated data in an interactive, customizable format to support national health inequality monitoring and reporting.
- HTA domains
- Organisational aspects, Patient and Social Aspects
- Assumptions
- Health inequalities should be monitored using standardized indicators and equity stratifiers; disaggregated data are meaningful and interpretable at the national level; summary measures can inform equitable health policy
- Strengths
- Comprehensive preloaded database with standardized indicators; user-friendly interface for non-technical users; supports multiple dimensions of inequality; designed specifically for national-level health inequality monitoring and reporting
- Limitations
- Currently limited to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health indicators; restricted to predefined equity stratifiers; lacks data upload functionality in the initial version; limited interactivity compared to future planned versions
- Also known as
- HEAT, Health Equity Assessment Toolkit, WHO HEAT
Questions this answers
- › What are the levels of health inequality within a country across key reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health indicators?
- › Which population subgroups experience the greatest health disparities?
- › How do health inequalities vary across different dimensions such as wealth, education, or geography?
- › Which health topics show the largest gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups?
- › Which regions or populations are multiply disadvantaged across several health indicators?
- › How can disaggregated health data be summarized and visualized for policy reporting and decision-making?
References & sources
Similar by meaning
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