Exploring the Intersection of Health Equity and Infectious Disease

Health equity received a boost of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing increased awareness of the health impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) like race and location. A recent study found that exposure risk was highly affected by a variety of SDoH. Likewise, access to care and quality of care are far from equally distributed.

According to Rebecca Leach, MPH, BSN, RN, CIC, “Unequal treatment essentially concerns access to care. Although this is a simple statement, it is a complex issue, stemming from structural biases, implicit biases of health care workers, lack of trust in governmental institutions, and more. Inadequate access to care can result in delays in seeking care for conditions, exacerbations of chronic illness, and the inability to receive treatment or preventive measures (vaccination, prophylactic medication, personal protective equipment). However, it is important to be aware that health inequities are not to be used as a way to point to cultural differences as being the cause of disease”

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(Source: Contagion Live, February 20^th, 2023)