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Health Equity Across Racial and Ethnic Groups refers to the fair and just opportunity for individuals of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to achieve their highest level of health. Achieving this equity requires actively addressing and dismantling the structural barriers—historical, economic, social, and institutional—that produce persistent disparities in health outcomes.

Core Concepts:

1. Historical and Structural Drivers

Racial and ethnic disparities in health are not accidental. They stem from:

• Centuries of systemic racism in housing, education, and employment.
• Redlining and residential segregation, which placed communities of color in under-resourced areas with environmental hazards.
• Medical mistrust rooted in unethical practices (e.g., Tuskegee Study) and ongoing inequities in treatment quality.

2. Disparities in Poverty Rates

As shown in the Poverty in the United States: 2023 report:

• Black (17.9% official, 18.5% SPM), Hispanic (16.6% official, 20.9% SPM), and American Indian and Alaska Native (21.2% official, 19.0% SPM) populations experience disproportionately high poverty rates.
• These elevated poverty levels directly correlate with limited access to healthcare, nutritious food, and safe living conditions, all of which are determinants of poor health outcomes.

3. Underrepresentation and Overrepresentation

Data from the Census Bureau show that:

• White, non-Hispanic individuals are underrepresented in the poverty population (40.5% in poverty vs. 58.1% of total population).
• In contrast, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Two or More Races individuals are overrepresented, underscoring the intersection of race, economic inequality, and health.

4. Health Outcome Gaps

These disparities manifest in higher rates of:

• Infant mortality among Black and Native populations
• Chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension in Hispanic and Black communities
• Mental health burdens and suicide rates in Native and multiracial populations
• COVID-19 deaths, where Black and Latino populations experienced disproportionate loss due to frontline jobs and limited access to healthcare

Pathways to Health Equity:

To close these gaps, health equity efforts must:

• Center community voices, especially from historically marginalized groups
• Address social determinants of health (income, education, housing, transportation)
• Ensure inclusive policies and equitable resource allocation
• Invest in data disaggregation, so that interventions can be tailored to specific community needs

Educational Integration:

Incorporating racial and ethnic health equity into the curriculum involves:

• Case studies of policy successes and failures (e.g., Medicaid expansion vs. non-expansion states)
• Simulation exercises on implicit bias in clinical care
• Community engagement projects focused on culturally responsive care
• Speakers from BIPOC communities to share lived experiences

By equipping students and professionals with the tools to recognize and confront racialized systems of disadvantage, we empower a new generation of changemakers capable of transforming health systems to serve all communities equitably.