What is Health and Social Equity and why is it important?
Over the past decade, there have been sustained health improvements for many residents of Alameda County. This is good news. And yet while overall health has improved, serious health inequities persist. Health inequities are defined as differences in health that are unnecessary, avoidable, unfair and unjust. Health inequities are related to both a history of overt discriminatory actions, as well as present-day practices and policies that perpetuate diminished opportunity and hazardous exposures for certain populations.
The Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), a collaborative of eight health departments, including Alameda County, has a framework for understanding health inequities. To address health inequities, we must tackle broader social inequalities - access to power, resources, and opportunities – all of which determine the distribution of health and disease within the population.
What are we doing to create Health & Social Equity?
Resources, Publications and Presentations
Media
Dr. Anthony Iton testifies before Congressman Stark’s Health Subcommittee in Congress - June 10, 2008
- Congressman Pete Stark and Alameda County Health Director Join in Effort to Reduce Health Disparities
- Additional testimony coverage: Dr. Iton's Testimony
