Life and Death from Unnatural Causes: Health and Social Inequity in Alameda County

Keywords / Description:

Certain groups of people in Alameda County are getting sick and dying prematurely from “unnatural causes.” In Alameda County, access to proven health protective resources like clean air, healthy food, and recreational space, as well as opportunities for high quality education, living wage employment, and decent housing, is highly dependent on the neighborhood in which one lives. These inequities cluster and accumulate over people's lives and over time successfully conspire to diminish the ultimate quality and length of life in these neighborhoods.

The full report on which this executive summary is based 1) documents the health disparities found in Alameda County by neighborhood, income level, and race/ethnicity; 2) illustrates the links between these disparities and existing economic and social inequities; and 3) suggests goals and cross-sectoral policies that can lessen the inequities in our county.

Toolkit:

Health Equity and Social Justice Toolkit

Keyword Area:

Health Equity, Social Justice

Jurisdiction:

Institutional Author:

Alameda County Public Health Department

Submitted:

04/27/2009

Modified:

10/26/2010

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