What is health inequity concerned with?

Health inequity specifically refers to the preventable differences in health that arise from systematic, unjust, and avoidable factors. These factors often include social determinants of health such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and geography. When health disparities are rooted in these arbitrary circumstances, they are considered inequities because they point to inequalities that should not exist if society were organized to ensure fair and just access to healthcare resources and opportunities for health.

By focusing on preventable differences, the concept of health inequity emphasizes that such disparities are not merely the result of random variation or individual choices, but are deeply entrenched in the structures of society. Addressing health inequities requires actions to improve health outcomes for marginalized populations by tackling the underlying determinants that contribute to these disparities. This understanding drives policies and interventions aimed at promoting equity in health across different segments of the population.

The other choices address various aspects of healthcare, such as treatment access and resource distribution, but do not specifically capture the essence of health inequity, which is its focus on preventable and unjust differences.