Why
Our Mission Is Important
Health inequities and inequalities within communities of promise (underserved communities) are a matter of life and death, of health and sickness, of well-being and misery, opportunity and adversity, of education and illiteracy, of social mobility and impoverishment, of disability-free life and affliction. Inequalities in health arise because of inequalities in society – in the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.
People living in the poorest neighborhoods, will, on average, die 10-14 years earlier than people living in the richest neighborhoods. A decade of life lost secondary to different social circumstances which produce avoidable differences in health. On average difference in disability- free life expectancy is 9-10 years. So, people in poorer communities not only die sooner, but they spend more of their shorter lives with a disability.
Health inequities and inequalities in these communities do not arise by chance, and they cannot be attributed simply to genetic makeup, ‘bad’, unhealthy behavior, or difficulties in access to medical care; important as those factors may be. Social and economic differences in health status reflect, and are caused by, social and economic inequalities in society.
Wellaccess believes that health inequalities that are preventable by reasonable means are unfair, and putting them right is a matter of social justice and valuing all of humanity. It is tempting to focus limited resources on those in most need. To reduce the steepness of the social gradient in health, actions must be universal because we are all in need – all of us beneath the very best-off. The universal actions, must be with a scale and intensity that is proportionate to the level of disadvantage.
There are causes, influencers, and drivers of health inequities and inequalities, which shapes the social determinants of health:
- Causes of Health Inequities: material circumstances, the social environment, psychosocial factors, behaviors, and biological factors.
- Influencers of Health Inequities: social position shaped by education, occupation, income, gender, ethnicity and race.
- Drivers of the Causes: socio-political, cultural, and social context in which they sit.
Why
Support the Mission
Addressing continued inequalities in early childhood development, in young people’s educational achievement and acquisition of skills, in sustainable and healthy communities, in affordable housing, in social and health services, and in employment and working conditions will have multiple benefits that extend beyond reductions in health inequalities.
In addition, addressing unfair distribution of health and length of life through advocacy for the heart of all policies passed through central and local government to include social justice, health and sustainability for our planet. These actions will reduce the social gradient of health curve, and benefit all people because health inequities affect everyone below the top 1%!