Health Equity

health equity orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geographic location or language preference, or other factors such as affects access to care and health outcomes

Underserved Community: Individuals who share certain characteristics—demographic, geographic (urban or rural), or other factors—that systematically deprive them of the full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life.

Safety Net Providers: Providers who organize and provide health care for uninsured, Medicaid, and other underserved patients. The safety nets include community health centers (including federally qualified health centers (FQHCs)) and their counterparts,

rural health clinics, and public hospitals and clinics.
What is the relationship between health equity and health inequality?

Equitable health means that everyone has a fair and equal opportunity to achieve optimal health.

Health equity is promoted among health care providers
Identify inequalities in health

Define specific and actionable goals to address identified gaps
Prioritize populations and communities that have historically been underserved
Create and implement your organization’s health strategy

Monitor and evaluate progress in eliminating health disparities

Health disparities occur when an underserved group with a common characteristic—such as race or disability—is more likely or more severely affected by a preventable health problem than individuals who do not share that characteristic.

Often, these populations have historically been excluded from social and economic opportunities, leading to barriers to care and unequal treatment over

Partner in prevention
A rural community relies heavily on the local volunteer fire department (VFD) for emergencies because the nearest hospital is more than 20 miles away. However,

VFD does not have the same services or specialized trained staff as a health center. Additionally, many health emergencies in this community could be prevented if they had access to preventive services such as health screenings,

smoking cessation programs, and nutritional support.

To address these health disparities and promote health equity, a health center from a relatively nearby city partners with the VFD and provides health education, equipment, and services to the VFD

checks and mental health assessments. The health clinic also offers telemedicine visits to reduce the transport burden.
Collaboration in society

A health system is meeting with church and other community leaders who primarily serve a large African-American community in cities with a high prevalence of chronic heart disease to determine how to address these health disparities.

The health system works closely with church leaders to understand community needs and priorities and includes a jointly designed educational partnership.

The partnership involves churches across the region, each setting their own goals to encourage their members to adopt healthy lifestyles to promote heart health

You can also learn more about CMS

Justice occurs when barriers prevent individuals and communities from accessing these conditions and achieving their full potential.

Disparities are distinct from health disparities, which are differences in health status between people that are due to social or demographic factors such as race, gender, income, or geographic region. Health disparities are one way to measure our progress towards health equity.

How do we achieve equality in health? We value all people equally. We optimize the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, learn and age.

We work with other sectors to address the determinants of health, including employment, housing, education, health care, public safety, and access to food.1 We identify racism as a force that determines how these social determinants are distributed.

As APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, writes in this U.S. writes the News & World Report article: “Health equity is a goal we can achieve,

and it is within our power to do so. We have the tools and knowledge to achieve health equity, but it is up to all of us to use them .”

Latest updates
Promote equal health opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities

APHA is proud to have received an inclusive health grant from the Special Olympics to highlight the unique experiences of people with intellectual disabilities and identify promising strategies to advance health equity within this community.

As part of this effort, APHA will convene an advisory board, host a panel during National Public Health Week, prepare a topic overview, and publish a supplement in The Nation’s Health. If you would like to know more about this exciting work, please contact us

a priority to curb the pandemic’s devastation on communities of color.

This fact sheet calls on reaching those at highest risk and most vulnerable and using data to determine those categories. Examples of how to build trust with communities include using frequent, transparent communication and by forging partnerships with community health workers and other trusted messengers.

overview of how the pandemic has put millions more at risk of eviction.

Share our infographic to spread the word on how the problem has disproportionately impacted some communities and how public health can help.

food insecurity in the United States with an emphasis on the structural barriers that lead to disproportionate hunger and malnutrition in low-income communities and communities of color

The fact sheet highlights the impact of the COVID-19 on food security and recommends steps public health professionals can take at the local, state and federal levels to work towards the goal of food justice.

PDF) explains how exposure to environmental pollutants during childhood can have lifelong negative health impacts, including developmental delays and higher risks of cancer and asthma.

The fact sheet gives recommendations on combatting the existing disparities that worsen such health impacts for children of color and those who live in underserved communities. Those recommendations include enforcing routine testing and inspection of homes for such environmental hazards as radon, lead and mold.

examines how structural racism and discriminatory policies led to housing and health inequality in America for low-income communities and people of color.

To equip public health professionals with the tools to address these inequities in their communities, the report outlines numerous ways to advance equitable change in housing equity through policy and advocacy, cross-sector partnerships and community engagement and education.

discusses the root problems to access and affordable water in the United States today. The fact sheet also highlights several types of water contamination that deeply impact the health of the consumer,

the connection between water and agriculture and climate change, how water quality will affect some more than others, as well as recommendations on what can be done to improve our status