Goals
In its role as a research centre, the main goals of the Health and Social Observatory are to gather, analyse and diffuse key information for the development of coordinated policies in the field of public health and poverty reduction in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Its role is to aid decision-making by observing and evaluating the situation, its development over time and the impact of social and health policies.
It strives to promote communication among fieldworkers, the scientific community and the political world.
Our activities
Gathering existing information
Quantitative and qualitative information from public and private institutions, associations or scientific research.
Analysing information
- performing quantitative, qualitative and spatial analyses of data
- combining various kinds of information to provide a global approach of reality
Diffusing information
- publishing the results of our analyses on our website or in printed form, with a view to informing political decision-makers and fieldworkers.
- presenting and debating our publications with political decision-makers and fieldworkers.
Our key strengths
Research
- coordinating and supporting research carried out by field partners and/or academics for monitoring the state of health of the population, the state of poverty in the Brussels Region, specific health problems and social inequalities in health.
- constructing and validating "sets" of indicators and tools relevant to public health and the field of poverty and social exclusion.
Brussels think tank
- public health advice
- advice on combating poverty
- participation in expert groups, conferences and meetings
- participation in Belgian and European networks for public health and poverty reduction
- bilingual approach: networking with Dutch and French-speaking actors.
Favoured approaches
- interrelationship of poverty and state of health
- approaching the Brussels' reality in its diversity
- working in interaction with fieldworkers
- acknowledging the points of view of those concerned