Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
A Time of Opportunity: Local Solutions to Reduce Inequities in Health and Safety
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Cohen, Larry M. Iton, Anthony B. Davis, Rachel |
| Copyright Year | 2009 |
| Abstract | This is a time of opportunity. There is a growing understanding of the importance of healthy communities, the influence of underlying health determinants, and the role of culturally appropriate, family-centered primary care in accomplishing health equity. Along with national policy change, the local arena has emerged as an ideal setting for reducing inequities in health and safety and for promoting good health. Local policy solutions are the emphasis of this brief; more detail on local solutions is available in the complete document A Time of Opportunity: Local Solutions to Reduce Inequities in Health and Safety. Good health is precious; unfortunately, it is not experienced equitably across society. It is not a mere coincidence that certain groups suffer from the most profound health disparities. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, injury, and violence occur in higher frequency, earlier, and with greater severity among communities of color and in low-income communities. Health inequity is related both to a legacy of overt discriminatory actions on the part of government and the larger society, as well as to the present day practices and policies of public and private institutions that perpetuate a system of diminished opportunity for certain populations. While health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States, health inequities are differences in health, which are not only unnecessary and avoidable but, in addition, are unfair and unjust. Remedying inequitable health and safety outcomes requires a four-pronged solution: 1. Strengthen communities where people live, work, play, socialize, and learn; 2. Enhance opportunities within underserved communities to access high-quality, culturally competent health care with an emphasis on community-oriented and preventive services; 3. Strengthen the infrastructure of the health system to reduce inequities and enhance contributions from public health and health care systems; and 4. Support local efforts through leadership, overarching policies, and through local, state, and national strategy. Policies and organizational practices significantly influence the well-being of the community— they affect equitable distribution of services, and they help shape norms, which in turn, influence behavior. In order to “unmake” inequitable neighborhood conditions and to improve health and safety outcomes, reform via policy and practice must occur across venues, including government, business/labor, and the community, and it must all be done in service of people—where they live, work, play, socialize, and learn. In other words, it is critical to focus efforts at the community level. REPORT BRIEF APRIL 2010 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://nned.net/docs-general/IOM_roundtable_on_preventionheathdisparities_may_2009pub.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://old.preventioninstitute.org/documents/iom_timeofopportunity_052209_final_000.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.preventioninstitute.org/sites/default/files/publications/IOM_Time%20of%20Opportunity_040511.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.nmpha.org/Resources/Documents/Local%20Solutions%20to%20Reduce%20Inequities%20in%20Health%20and%20Safety%20-%20Exec%20Summ.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.preventioninstitute.org/sites/default/files/publications/HE_IOM%20Report%20Brief_04%2005%2010.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
