Health Equity

What is Health Equity?

Health equity is having the opportunity to attain the highest level of health, physically, mentally, and socially.

Everyone should be afforded this right; however, social, economic, and environmental barriers prevent people from being able to reach their full potential.

Because of those barriers, there are vast differences in disease and access to health care among people of different age, race, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, disability, and geographic location.

What does lack of health equity look like?

Health equity at pitt public health

che545x154

The Center for Health Equity (CHE) aims to understand and reduce health disparities in underserved populations, particularly those in Western Pennsylvania. The center engages the community in efforts to reduce the major causes of excess mortality among disadvantaged populations in the region, such as infant mortality; community violence; and cardiovascular health, with the ultimate goal of reducing excess mortality in the southwestern Pennsylvania region. Read more...

Certificate in Health Equity

The graduate certificate program provides students with an academic foundation for achieving health equity through...

  • assessing the complexity of inequities among diverse groups of marginalized populations, 
  • mobilizing communities where disparities exist,
  • developing culturally tailored interventions, and
  • advocating for healthy public policy.  

Learn more about the certificate...

Apply to Pitt Public Health...

lamppostBannerArtFINAL-healthEquityBarber200x450

  


Minority Student Organization 

31062168_1525114664264129_3574355213470924800_n

Minority students have been under represented in the field of public health. MSO is a student led organization designed to support the needs and interests of minority students at Pitt Public Health by providing leadership skills, networking opportunities, seminars, and volunteer experiences.

Read more...

 

One Book One Community: Evicted

Evicted Book Cover

Every year, the Pitt Public Health community joins in reading and discussing one book related to contemporary concerns in public health. This year's book, Evicted by Matthew Desmond describes the plight of poor families who are forced to move from their homes, apartments, or trailers. "Evicted heartbreakingly illuminates how poverty and lack of housing affect families and communities." 

Read more...

Health Equity in the News

See how Pitt Public Health students and faculty are using their work to address health disparities.

image

Dara Mendez, EPI faculty and director, Center for Health Equity 

Dara Mendez, EPI faculty and director, Center for Health Equity

"My research, teaching, curriculum development and service applies equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression praxis as well as Black Feminist Theory, Critical Race Theory and Public Health Critical Race Praxis. My research program focuses on understanding and addressing racial and socioeconomic inequity... (11/17/2020)
image

'I won't be used as a guinea pig for white people' - Black Pittsburghers think twice about vaccine trials 

'I won't be used as a guinea pig for white people' - Black Pittsburghers think twice about vaccine trials

NEW YORK TIMES - Mistrust of vaccines runs deep in African-American communities. Against formidable odds, Fr. Paul Abernathy and his teams are trying to convince residents fo Pittsburgh's Black neighborhoods to volunteer for trials testing a COVID-19 shot. “The community health deputies have been i... (10/07/2020)
image

Revisiting Freedom House Ambulance: A Call for a Modern and Inclusive Public Health Initiative (video) 

Revisiting Freedom House Ambulance: A Call for a Modern and Inclusive Public Health Initiative (video)

Freedom House Enterprises ambulance services was a pioneering program designed to be representative of the community it served (Pittsburgh's Hill District), provide a pathway for upward mobility, and address a severe disparity in pre-hospital care. The collaboration between Phil Hallen, Peter S... (09/30/2020)
image

Gary-Webb testifies at PA Democratic Health Committee on Black COVID-19 Equity Coalition 

Gary-Webb testifies at PA Democratic Health Committee on Black COVID-19 Equity Coalition

EPI's Tiffany Gary-Webb presented testimony on COVID-19 disparities and our equity response at the July 15 House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on COVID-19 Health Disparities, impressing Representative Stephen Kinsey who wants to follow-up with Gary-Webb to connect the Philadelphia and Pittsbu... (07/21/2020)
image

Why are minorities getting hit harder by COVID-19? Partly because of systemic racism, says Gary-Webb 

Why are minorities getting hit harder by COVID-19? Partly because of systemic racism, says Gary-Webb

THE MORNING CALL - EPI's Tiffany Gary-Webb, member of the Pittsburgh Black Covid-19 Equity Coalition, said there is a lack of robust and accessible testing, and that testing sites are not concentrated in communities of color. “We know that there’s disproportionate impacts, so we really think interv... (07/15/2020)