There is a long history of people expressing concern about the health, lifestyle and well-being of our population--and of proposals for action to address the inequitable experiences between groups within this population. Over time, our understanding of both the problem and its causal connections has changed considerably. This is reflected within an increasingly explicit articulation of the issues and a progressively more sophisticated and determined cross-sectoral approach to tackling health inequalities. This paper reflects on the progress we have made in England in addressing this challenge, suggesting that we need to engage more proactively with our population and with our international partners, taking a systematic partnership approach to inform policy, practice and delivery on the ground.