Projects

NACCHO aims to permanently change the conditions that produce differential health outcomes that will, over time, have a greater effect than traditional interventions. Health inequities are differences in health status and mortality rates across population groups that are systemic, avoidable, unfair, and unjust. The United States faces an increasing level of inequity in the health status and mortality rates of its disadvantaged populations and in many communities of color. Healthy populations depend on the conditions in everyday life—the social determinants of health. Beyond these determinants are fundamental injustices derived from class, race, gender, and sexual orientation that generate inequities in the distribution of disease. Social justice, a foundation of public health, has two central features: social and economic equality and political equality. Increasing health inequities will have an impact on public health practice and NACCHO will identify approaches to eliminate them through a perspective grounded in principles of social justice.