"Social inequalities in health are the result of 'social injustice that kills on a massive scale.' Reducing them is an ethical imperative," stated the World Health Organization (WHO) in September 2008 in its report on the social determinants of health. With this international appeal, the WHO calls on governments as well as all stakeholders (national and international organizations, researchers, civil society, etc.) to take action to ensure health equity for all populations. Indeed, knowledge about the social determinants of health inequalities amply demonstrates that inequalities also depend on the level of social cohesion and therefore concern all public policies.[article excerpt]