Roots of Health Inequity

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Roots of Health Inequity: A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce

R oots of Health Inequity is an online learning collaborative and web-based course designed for the public health workforce. The site offers a starting place for those who want to address systemic differences in health and wellness that are actionable, unfair, and unjust. Based on a social justice framework, the course is an introduction to ground public health practitioners in concepts and strategies for taking action in everyday practice.

Funded by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health, the course is open free of charge to any professional interested in addressing the root causes of health inequity. The course material is written primarily for local public health department staff at all levels. The interactive site includes five units and features a rich source of case studies, readings, presentations, video, audio, and group-directed discussions. Continuing Education (CE) credits are offered for the first unit "Where Do We Start?".

Participants can also expect to:

Build a community of peers dedicated to addressing health equity.
Strategize more effective ways to act on the root causes of health inequity.
Lay the foundation for an organizational culture committed to tackling social injustice.

Go to rootsofhealthinequity.org to learn more about how to register and participate. For more information, including guidance documents about how your organization can use the course, please contact rootsofhealthinequity@naccho.org.

Roots of Health Inequity: What to Expect

Preview interactives from the Roots of Health Inequity!

Each of the five units in this online course contain educational interactives that teach a key concept of social justice as it relates to public health inequity. A few of these interactives are featured below. Roll over each thumbnail for a description of the interactive. Click on each thumbnail for a preview.

Learn about the relationship between class structure and health status.

Learn about how structural racism contributed to the hurricane Katrina disaster.

Explore the social determinants of asthma that are undermining children's health in Northern Manhattan.

Examine the historic debates over public health's role in addressing health inequities.

Learn about West Harlem's fight against the North River Water Pollution Control Plant, click through the slideshow and notice the critical decision points and opportunities for public health department intervention.

About Roots of Health Inequity

Roots of Health Inequity Course Packet

You can learn more about the course and learning collaborative by both going to rootsofhealthinequity.org and by downloading the Roots of Health Inequity course packet.

You'll find the documents below:

1. Roots of Health Inequity informational booklet

Learn about our purpose, why it matters, and why now.

2. Main Features of this Course

Learn about the website's features, the community, and how to use the course.

3. Index of Course Units

Each unit provides an in-depth look at a specific topic using various types of learning modalities — interactive maps and timelines, slideshows, geographic story-telling, resource libraries, video presentations, and interviews with practitioners.

4. Navigating the Units

Find and use the parts of the course that most interest you.

5. Create & Lead a Group

The course material is designed around group participation — primarily through group discussions on specific topics and the results of activities in the units. Learn how to plan, select, and create a Learning Group on the website.

For More Information

To sign up for updates about Roots of Health Inequity, including updates about an implementation guide for the online course and learning collaborative, please complete this form.