An analytic approach for describing and prioritizing health inequalities at the local level in Canada: a descriptive study (original) (raw)

ealth equity is the principle of and commitment to incorporating social justice into health by reducing health inequalities. It implies that all people can reach their full health potential and should not be disadvantaged from attaining it because of their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, social class, socioeconomic status or other socially determined circumstances. 1 Measuring health inequity is a difficult task and requires 2 steps. First, health inequalities, which are differences in health outcomes between different groups in the same population, must be measured. Second, health inequalities become health inequities when these differences are deemed unnecessary, avoidable, unjust and unfair. 1 The health sector plays an important role in perpetuating or reducing health inequities. 2,3 The Health Disparities Task Group of the Federal Provincial Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health and Health Security suggested that the health sector can reduce or increase health inequities depending on how their programs and policies are implemented and taken up by the population. 4 Focused health sector efforts to improve health care equity have the potential to reduce inequities in health outcomes. 4-6 Health care equity means that health care services should be available, accessible, and acceptable to everyone in the population, and also maintain a high degree of quality. 7 Limited evaluations of health inequalities also may be due to limitations in the health regions' organizational capacities or a lack of practical methods for health regions to use for planning. 8 In Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Health's Strategic and Operational Directions 2013-2014 identified that collaboration with communities, other ministries and different levels of government will close the gap in health inequalities and promote health equity. 9 However, the Ministry of Health did not identify specific measures or targets for evaluating health inequalities.