Inequality and health inequities
Inequality is a significant driver of bad health: a society that deprives people of resources to stay healthy is a society where many people become sick, injured, or die because of factors outside of their control.
People tend to be healthier when they have access to economic and financial stability, higher education, adequate health care, healthy neighborhoods, and safe, strong communities.
Health inequities are systematic differences in health outcomes that result from differences in access to the conditions that keep people healthy. These are called “social determinants of health” - conditions that people are born into or experience during their lives.
These social determinants of health are shaped by local, national, and global systems of power. When these systems deprive people of the social and economic conditions that support health, those people experience worse health outcomes. Historical and contemporary racism, economic inequality, and disinvestment all determine who is placed at greater risk for bad health outcomes. Too often, these are people in low-income neighborhoods and people of color.
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