Health disparities

Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease,injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by people who have historically been made vulnerable by policies set by local, state, and federal institutions. Populations can be defined by factors such as race or ethnicity, gender, education or income, disability, geographic location, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Health disparities are inequitable and are directly related to the historical and current unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)