The Future of Health Systems: Achieving Equity by Embracing Inclusion

Equity is both an outcome and a process. In Global Health, inequities are often identified through differences in outcome-level health indicators based on wealth, geography, or other factors. Actions to address inequities focus on increasing access to services by expanding the physical location of those services; improving the quality of services such as available supplies and health workers; or providing financial protection against catastrophic health expenditures. We know from established frameworks that converting input-level change into outcome-level results happens through processes. Equity has not been traditionally addressed as a process that is critical to driving outcome-level reductions in inequities. By infusing equity into health systems strengthening processes, we can accelerate progress toward change. For example, ensuring that health systems are responsive to underserved populations requires active engagement and full participation of these populations in healthcare decisions at community, district, and national levels, and such engagement is best promoted through employees throughout the health system who understand the equity imperative as part of the process of their work.

MODERATOR: 

• Jodi Anthony, Principal Associate, Population Health, Abt Associates 

PANELISTS

• Jodi Charles, Equity Team Leader, Office of Health Systems, USAID
• Phyllis Heydt, Founder, The Missing Billion Initiative
• Miguel Pulido, Chief of Party, Local Health Systems Sustainability Project, Colombia

Find out more about The Future of Health Systems series--and register for upcoming events!