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

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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...

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Minority Student Organization 

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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

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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.

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Brown talks about health equity implications of SCOTUS decision on employment protections for SGM 

Brown talks about health equity implications of SCOTUS decision on employment protections for SGM

"The June 15, 2020, decision by the Supreme Court of the United States affirming Federal Civil Rights protections in employment for sexual and gender minorities (SGM) across the country has significant health equity implications...we celebrate this decision as a positive step toward creating more e... (07/09/2020)
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EOH's Social Justice Bookshelf 

EOH's Social Justice Bookshelf

Encouraged by the activism of MD/PhD candidate Alexander Schuyler, EOH Chair Sally Wenzel employed the technical savvy of EOH IT Manager Adam Orbell to create the digital EOH Social Justice Bookshelf. Many of the titles are available to read online for those in the Pitt community with Pitt Passport... (07/09/2020)
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What the Allegheny County Health Department is doing to address health disparities. An open letter to the community. 

What the Allegheny County Health Department is doing to address health disparities. An open letter to the community.

NEXT PITTSBURGH - Allegheny County, like Minneapolis, has substantial racial disparities that impact all of us. Our communities are starkly divided along racial and ethnic lines. With these lines come distinct differences in access to housing, education, transportation and employment. These differe... (07/09/2020)
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Masks and Much More: Public Health in the Time of COVID-19 

Masks and Much More: Public Health in the Time of COVID-19

PITTSBURGH CURRENT—"Green is associated with 'go,' 'all clear,' 'nothing to worry about'—but during this pandemic, green could not be further from the truth." Doctoral candidate Chantele Mitchell-Miland (EPI '20) and advisor EPI's Dara Mendez explain why we all still need to be vigilant and practic... (07/01/2020)

FEATURED

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Reflection to Action - we respond to "Racism: The Ultimate Underlying Condition

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Reflection to Action - we respond to "Racism: The Ultimate Underlying Condition 

Reflection to Action - we respond to "Racism: The Ultimate Underlying Condition

The Center for Health Equity and Office of Health Sciences Diversity hosted a discussion and reflection to action and engagement in response to the American Public Health Association’s June 9 webinar, “Racism: The Ultimate Underlying Condition”. BCHS' Noble Maseru gave an overview of the  APHA pres... (06/28/2020)