Promoting Health Equity Across Borders

Access to fair, nondiscriminatory healthcare is a human right. Unfortunately, people worldwide face social, physical, and economic barriers that can negatively affect their health. Equitable access to health services and improved health outcomes is a core value for public health professionals. Health equity means equal access to the vital services that allow everyone to live up to their full potential.¹

This blog explores global health initiatives, policies, and international health programs that can promote health equity locally and around the world.

Since health equity means everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their highest level of health, ² the concept extends beyond disease prevention and access to care. It also includes fair access to nutrition, safe housing, accurate health information, and social connection, all supporting individuals' mental and physical well-being.

Improving these factors globally can help create a more equitable world, but there are many challenges to overcome in creating successful global health initiatives. They can begin with cultural, linguistic and geographic barriers and include issues of national sovereignty, economic and trade barriers, and differences in the organization and operation of health care systems. Successful global health initiatives consider these external issues in their planning and operation.³

Global health initiatives work to promote equal access to lifesaving care and well-being. The World Health Organization funds dozens of such initiatives, as do specific UN programs.

Some examples of successful global health initiatives include:

• Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria: Founded in 2002, this fund is estimated to have saved 59 million lives and raises over $5 billion annually to fight deadly communicable diseases⁴
• Global Polio Eradication Initiative: The GPEI receives funding from public and private donors and works to eradicate polio in the last two endemic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan⁵
• Hand Hygiene For All Global Initiative: This initiative, led by the WHO and UNICEF, aims to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases by increasing access to clean water and handwashing supplies in rural communities⁶
• Special Initiative for Mental Health: Founded in 2019, this initiative has provided access to vital mental health services for over 52 million people in nine partner countries⁷

These initiatives require in-depth collaboration between governments and non-governmental actors. Successful public health initiatives often rely on private funding and public promotion.

International health programs are typically directed toward a specific cause, such as maternal and child health, COVID-19 prevention, mental health support, or environmental health. For example, the WHO partners with local organizations in the Western Pacific to promote equal access to reproductive and maternal care.⁸

These programs rely on coordinated strategies for implementation. The best strategy varies depending on each region and cause. A program promoting sexual well-being, for example, may see the best results from a community-based approach. In contrast, a program targeting environmental health disparities might require new technology and structural improvements.

To track the effectiveness of their public health strategies, organizations must carefully and accurately monitor their international health programs. Some common success metrics include community response, reduced disease prevalence and mortality rates; increased life expectancy, access to care and health equity; and the program's cost-benefit ratio.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for fast, equitable disease prevention measures in multiple countries around the world. International organizations and health systems work to stop the spread of infectious diseases through various programs, including:

• Public information campaigns
• Vaccine distribution
• Health and sanitation initiatives

Timeliness is one of the most critical factors in disease prevention. The less time that passes between the detection of an outbreak and the international community's response, the more lives will be saved.⁹ This applies to novel viruses, such as COVID-19, and existing diseases, such as polio, that may have regional outbreaks.

One example of a successful disease prevention measure is the eradication of smallpox. Once a deadly communicable disease, smallpox was officially eradicated in 1980 thanks to widespread vaccinations and public education campaigns communicating the benefits of vaccination.¹⁰

Promoting global health equity requires long-term collaboration and focus. International policies provide the framework to support initiatives and programs that prevent disease and improve access to care. For example, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of global policies designed to reduce poverty, improve infrastructure, promote climate resilience, and support gender equality.¹¹ These metrics will support health equity in the long run.

Many global health policies start with grassroots advocacy. Community-based advocates influence global actions by petitioning, speaking at international events, and promoting campaigns on social media. Local organizations can also help enact global health policies. In Kansas, for example, five community organizations have used the UN's SDGs as a guideline to tackle local hunger and housing crises.¹²

Global health policies can affect—and save—lives. To be effective, however, they must be carefully researched with consideration for ethical concerns, such as respect for minority groups, accountability on behalf of authorities, and fair access across economic classes.

While the international initiatives, programs, and policies discussed above help promote health equity, they are only part of the picture. Achieving global health equity requires a broader understanding of health and community-based action.

One step toward better health equity is defining and addressing social determinants of health. These include poverty, access to education, living conditions, and oppression or social isolation. A clear understanding of these social determinants can guide organizations and public policymakers toward more equitable and comprehensive health policies.

Implementing those policies is another challenge. Reducing healthcare access inequalities requires clear oversight, community engagement, and collaboration between different industries. Medical, social justice, and political professionals all work to enact change within their areas of expertise—providing vital healthcare, spreading public awareness, and passing legislation that supports global policies.
 

Medical innovation and social initiatives have improved health equity and quality of life for millions worldwide, even amid ongoing challenges. Do your part in improving population health, locally or globally, with help from the Kent State College of Public Health.

The college offers affordable online Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees with specializations in Health Policy and Management or Social and Behavioral Sciences. It also offers a STEM-designated MPH in Epidemiology. Whichever path most aligns with your goals and interests, you will be well-prepared to support advances in health equity across borders. Speak with an admissions outreach advisor today to explore your options in more detail.