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Office of Health Equity

“If the weakest of us are not healthy, then we are not a strong community.”

The Office of Health Equity in the Community Health Division of the Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough County

Our vision is for all of Hillsborough County to achieve optimal health where we live, learn, work, play, and socialize.

 

Our mission is to assure all of Hillsborough County has access and opportunity to achieve full health potential by addressing the Social Determinants of Health through Policy, System and Environmental changes, as well as Education.

Overview

What is health equity…

 

“Health equity is achieving the highest level of health for all people.”

-Healthy People 2020

 

“Equity in health implies that ideally everyone could attain their full health potential and that no one should be disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of their social position or other socially determined circumstance. This refers to everyone and not just to a particularly disadvantaged segment of the population. Efforts to promote social equity in health are therefore aimed at creating opportunities and removing barriers to achieving the health potential of all people. It involves the fair distribution of resources needed for health, fair access to the opportunities available, and fairness in the support offered to people when ill.”

-World Health Organization

 

 

What are the social determinants…

 

“The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system.”

-World Health Organization

 

Examples:

  • Availability of resources to meet daily needs (e.g., safe housing and local healthy food markets)
  • Access to quality educational, economic, and job opportunities
  • Access to health care services
  • Transportation and public safety
  • Opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities
  • Social norms and attitudes (e.g., discrimination, racism, and distrust of government)
  • Exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder (e.g., presence of trash and lack of cooperation in a community)
  • Socioeconomic conditions (e.g., concentrated poverty and the stressful conditions that accompany it)

 

 

Resources:
 

 





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