What Is Health Equity?
Health equity means everyone has the opportunity and resources needed to achieve their highest level of health.
Health equity is the goal and also the process through which we do our work. Health equity sounds very similar to health equality, but they’re distinctly different concepts.
Health equality means everyone is provided the same resources for health and assumes everyone starts with the same advantages.
Health equity recognizes that there are systemic barriers to health. Creating health equity is about everyone having a fair and just chance for their best possible health, unhindered by systemic disadvantages. We view equity as both an outcome and a continuing process that drives the work we do with our partners to create lasting change.
No single solution can achieve greater health equity — we must work together with the communities most affected by health inequities to identify and remove the many barriers to good health.
Learn about social determinants of health »