Moving Towards Health Equity

Existing NYC Health Disparities

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation defines health equity as the state in which every person has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

This goes beyond equality which promises equal resources, and rather focuses on actually equalizing the imbalanced opportunities for disenfranchised communities, and places more efforts in people with worse health outcomes and fewer resources. Reaching health equity is more than providing healthcare to every person. Health equity requires reducing and eventually eliminating health disparities like higher rates of premature death in African American and Latinx New Yorkers, and higher rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension in African American New Yorkers.

This past week, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability released its OneNYC 2050 strategic plan for NYC environmental sustainability, economic equality, and social justice. This report highlights the stark health inequalities prevalent throughout our boroughs.

1A. This map show NYC Life Expectancy by community and highlights the stark differences in life expectancy from adjacent districts like the UES and East Harlem.

1B. The geographic disparities in health seen in 1A are rooted in racial inequality, racial segregation, income inequality and other social determinants of health. This map shows the connection between race, neighborhoods, and inequitable health outcomes.

A Racial Justice Lens to Health Equity

Health equity requires eliminating social determinants such as poverty, environment, discrimination, lack of access to fair paying employment, quality education, housing, public spaces, and healthcare.

“Inequities in neighborhood conditions have been shaped over decades by historical and ongoing racism. Discriminatory policies such as redlining, as well as a lack of investment in neighborhood sustainability, have historically disadvantaged many communities, particularly low- income communities of color, leaving these communities without adequate local services, housing, parks, or playgrounds, which contribute to health.”

These racial injustices have led to our current health disparities. For this reason, we cannot simply look at health outcomes or access to care. The future of a healthy NYC relies on addressing the root cause of existing racial health disparities.