Most would agree that the opportunity to be healthy and well is a basic human right. Where the complications arise are in the varying beliefs on how to achieve healthy people and communities. Calls for change in the health system have swept across the country over the past several years, with a renewed focus propelled by recent events like the pandemic and racial justice movements that drew the national spotlight. But like the tide, these waves often come and go without permanently changing systems and structures to advance health equity for all people.

At my organization, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, we envision a world where all people are valued and live in communities where everyone has opportunities to achieve their best health. We believe that health equity and equity in general are possible when every person has the opportunity to attain their full potential. This happens when we give individuals what they need versus trying to give all people the same access to the same services, regardless of what they actually need.

Health equity means removing structural, institutional and social barriers and putting in place the needed resources, support and services to ensure everyone is able to achieve the best possible physical, emotional and social well-being.

How do we accomplish this? I believe there are two steps we can and must take simultaneously if we hope to turn health equity into a lasting movement, not just a moment in time.

First, we must deepen community collaboration. Last year, I wrote a Forbes Nonprofit Council piece that explored the concept of community collaboration as more than just everyone having a spot at the table competing for funding and clamoring for an opportunity for their voice to be heard. Rather, it is imperative for everyone involved to have a shared understanding and commitment to health equity, to talk with one another rather than at one another, and to agree on distinct roles and a shared vision.

Second, we must attend to the “causes of the causes,” the underlying issues, the economic and social conditions, and the social determinants of health that are driving health inequity. In other words, we must advocate for and fund “upstream” solutions and policy changes that address long-standing systemic issues versus putting temporary bandages on community wounds. These temporary solutions won’t stop the bleeding. We need to prioritize digging into the root causes of health inequity in order to properly address these issues.

Read the full article about health equity by Thomas Bognanno at Forbes