What is health inequity?

These widespread differences are the result of systems that negatively affect people’s living conditions, access to healthcare, and overall health status.

Health inequity affects people from disadvantaged or historically oppressed groups most severely. However, it has a negative impact on everyone.

This article will look at health inequity in more detail, explaining how it differs from health inequality and its impact.

It will also provide specific examples of how health inequity affects people and describe what health equity could look like.

The World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source defines health inequity as “systematic differences in the health status of different population groups.”

This means that certain groups experience worse health and increased difficulty accessing healthcare as a result of the systems that influence their lives.

For example, economic and political systems can influence poverty. People born in areas where poverty is high may have reduced access to safe housing, clean water, healthy food, education, and medical care — all of which impact health.

This creates an avoidable and unfair divide between different groups. Changes in government policy are necessary to overcome this.

Health inequity occurs on a local, national, and global scale, and it affects all countries.