While discussions on ways to finance ‘health for all’ are longstanding and contested, they have become increasingly important in light of escalating and intersecting health crises. This presentation is based on work that is seeking to contribute to these discussions, particularly by bringing a critical commercial determinants of health perspective that has often been missing. The presentation will start with a novel conceptualisation of what an ideal type of financial system may look like from a health equity perspective, followed by a brief outline of key processes through which existing financial systems undermine health equity. Key pathways towards establishing health-enabling financial systems will then be outlined. These pathways have been organised into three groups: (i) build and protect fiscal space; (ii) steer finance to support health equity; and (iii) democratise finance. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on key barriers and opportunities for realising the financing ‘health for all’ agenda.

Dr Wood is a Research Fellow with the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) within the Institute for Health Transformation at Deakin University. He is also co-lead of the ‘Investing for Health’ stream as part of Deakin and VicHealth’s Research Translation Centre on the Commercial and Economic Determinants of Health. Ben’s research focuses on the commercial and economic determinants of health inequities, particularly with respect to food and financial systems.