measurable differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups defined by social, demographic, economic, or geographic factors (such as ethnicity, gender, income, education, or social class).
When these differences are avoidable, unnecessary, or unfair, they are described as health inequities. Achieving health equity means creating conditions where all people have a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest possible level of health, minimizing or eliminating avoidable disparities.
Synonyms: Disparities in Health, Health Disparities
Example
In a country where infant mortality rates are significantly higher among low-income households than high-income households, this difference is a health inequality. If the higher infant mortality rate among low-income families results from preventable factors such as lack of access to prenatal care, it is also a health inequity, as the disparity is both avoidable and unfair.