Keith E . Whitfield, PhD, President, UNLV
Melva Thompson Robinson, DrPH, Director, UNLV Center for Health Disparities Research
José Melendrez, MSW, Executive Director Office of Community Partnerships, UNLV School of Public Health
A health disparity is “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion."
Health equity is the “attainment of the highest level of health for all people. Achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and health care disparities.”
Info from healthypeople.gov