Key points
- Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.
- CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) believes that all people should have the fair and just opportunity to live their healthiest life.
Overview
Policies, systems and environments contribute to health inequities. Health inequities impact various populations including racial and ethnic groups, lower socioeconomic groups, those in poverty, and those with disabilities. NCCDPHP believes that "one-size-fits-all" approaches do not benefit all populations in the same ways and, in some cases, can widen existing health disparities.
Every program in our center prioritizes health equity-focused approaches in the prevention and management of chronic disease conditions. This focus allows us to better identify markers of health disparities and address root causes and drivers of health inequities.
Why it's important
People, populations, and communities can thrive when they have equitable access to resources and conditions that support healthy living, quality education, training, employment, economic stability, and other opportunities. Equitable structural and social conditions, resources, and opportunities also enable communities to bounce back faster from adversity.
NCCDPHP's approach
NCCDPHP's approach to advancing health equity includes six areas of action:
- Social Determinants of Health
- Science: See Surveillance and Data Applications
- Programs, Policies, and Other Interventions: See Our Work in Action
- Collaboration With Partners: See Tools for Partners
- Communication
- Workforce Improvement
Resources
See how NCCDPHP's nine divisions are working to achieve health equity:
- Division of Adolescent and School Health
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
- Division of Diabetes Translation
- Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: Million Hearts®
- Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
- Division of Oral Health
- Division of Population Health
- Division of Reproductive Health
- Office on Smoking and Health