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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Gary-Webb accepts award for impact of data from the Black Equity Coalition 

Gary-Webb accepts award for impact of data from the Black Equity Coalition

NATIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD INDICATORS PARTNERSHIP - Harnessing interdisciplinary expertise and perspectives, the Black Equity Coalition in Pittsburgh successfully used data to advocate for programs and policies to decrease racial disparities in COVID-19 response and created a forum to tackle other healt... (07/23/2021)
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Gary-Webb featured in PHRESH: Communities Thrive When Residents are Involved in Decisions That Affect Their Neighborhoods 

Gary-Webb featured in PHRESH: Communities Thrive When Residents are Involved in Decisions That Affect Their Neighborhoods

"The Hill District and Homewood are similar and different in various ways. They're similar in the sense that they've been relatively stable over time and they have predominantly Black populations but they have very different histories overtime," explains EPI's TIffany Gary-Webb, assocaite dean for ... (07/23/2021)
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Garland and Brooks: Young People at Center of Surge in Violent Crime in Allegheny County 

Garland and Brooks: Young People at Center of Surge in Violent Crime in Allegheny County

KDKA - "The age group is15-25 - younger and drugs and alcohol...people getting out of lock down now and not being in school and not being in jobs," explained BCHS' Gina Brooks. After a year without school or direction, many of these young people with easy access to guns have turned to drug use and ... (07/23/2021)
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Juneteenth Statement from the Center for Health Equity 

Juneteenth Statement from the Center for Health Equity

CHE wishes you a Happy Juneteenth 2021, the first as a federally recognized holiday. In addition to acknowledging and uplifting Juneteenth, it is critical that we acknowledge systemic racism and oppression affecting Black communities as well as Indigenous, Latinx, and other historically oppressed c... (06/18/2021)
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Challenges we face against the next public health crisis? Gary-Webb says preparation is key 

Challenges we face against the next public health crisis? Gary-Webb says preparation is key

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE - "Preparation is key. There has been disinvestment in our public health infrastructure over the past decade including systems for data collection and dissemination, workforce development, and coordination which prohibited an efficient or effective response to this COVID-19 ... (06/14/2021)