Strategies for Eliminating Health Inequities: A Framework for Change

The most  important  challenge  for  health  professionals  is  promoting  health" equity. The WHO  (2008)  asserts  better  living  conditions,  equitable  distribution  of  wealth, and mechanisms to prevent and monitor inequities will result in health equity. The problem at the center of this capstone is how difficult it is to promote health equity and implement strategies  for change. Barriers  to  promoting  health  equity  include political, economical, epistemological and ideological differencesR identifying barriers supports efforts to institute strategies that promote health for all. By focusing efforts on educating civil society about health equity, public health professionals can broaden the reach of their work. First steps are being undertaken at Fraser Health in B.C. with efforts to produce messaging for staff and  leaders  to  shift  the  cultural  climate. What  is  required  is  a  shift  in  the way  society appreciates the social determinants of health and action from the public to demand healthy public policy.