"What we today term "health disparities" -- the consistent gap in physical and mental well-being between the most privileged members of society and the most socially and economically disadvantaged -- launched the modern public health movement in the nineteenth century. Yet only in the past two decades have governments begun to focus explicitly on the deep-rooted social determinants of health and disease. What are governments' responsibilities to reduce these disparities? Should they enact policies extending beyond health agencies to encompass economics, housing, transportation, education, and other sectors? How should national research agendas spotlight the causes of, and solutions to, stark differences in health within a country's population? What data should governments collect to more fully reveal health inequalities? How can these data be used to galvanize action? In the spring of 2005, the Working Group on Health Disparities at the Harvard School of Public Health held three international symposia addressing these timely issues. Featuring senior governmental public health leaders and academic researchers from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Western and Northern Europe, as well as Canada and the US , the symposia explored both the successes and limitations of current policy approaches. By fostering frank cross-cultural discussion, the series also sought to inspire action on one of today's most urgent public health problems. As Barry R. Bloom, Ph.D., Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, summed it up, health disparities "perturb the consciences of people within the country and around the world."

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