Health Equity & Disparities

Health Equity: What It Is AND What It Is NOT and How We can Achieve It Together

Health equity is when all membe​rs of society enjoy a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. When health equity is achieved, no one is at a disadvantage from attaining their full health potential. All people getting the right screening at the right time for the best outcome is a strategic priority of the CDC Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in ensuring health equity.

Sometimes, equity is confused or used interchangeably with equality although they are two different concepts. Equality is where everyone has the same opportunities and resources – a “one size fits all” approach. What equality doesn’t take into consideration is that everyone is not starting from the same place as some individuals are impacted by social determinants of health (SDOH) – conditions in the environments where they are born, live, learn, work, play, and worship. These include everything from housing, transportation, and neighborhoods, to racism, discrimination, and violence, to education, job opportunities, and income, to pollution, language and literacy skills, as well as access to nutritious foods and physical activity opportunities. Healthy People 2030 focuses heavily on SDOH.​

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