What could health equity look like?

Health equity is the opposite of health inequity. It describes a system that supports a high standard of health and healthcare for all people.

To achieve this, people would need to eliminate sources of health inequity and provide people with individualized care based on their needs. This means giving more power and resources to groups that have less rather than treating everyone the same.

In the healthcare system, this could involve:

• financial risk protectionTrusted Source for people who need to pay for healthcare
• affordable prices for medications and vaccines
• flexible appointment times for people who work long or unusual hours
• mobile health services for those in remote areas and people who cannot travel
• easy access to translators, care workers, and others who can help people understand and access medical care
• education for healthcare professionals on how inequity affects the care they provide to their patients
• financial and social support for trainee medical staff who come from diverse backgrounds

Achieving health equity also involves societal change. This could involve:

• providing financial investment to areas and groups that need it most
• cleaning up environmental pollution and instating laws to protect against it
• addressing problems with accessing healthy foodTrusted Source, such as food deserts
• addressing barriers that prevent people from attending school, such as period poverty
• ensuring that all houses and workplaces are safe and accessible, as well as prohibiting exclusionary housing practices
• ensuring that everyone can access green spaces, parks, and trailsTrusted Source for exercise

These are just a few examples. How countries tackle health inequity will be unique to the needs of the people who live there.