The Health and Human Services Department strives to cultivate a culture of belonging where every client, community member, and employee feels safe and valued, inclusive of all aspects of their differences.  We work to create an environment built on respect and dignity for everyone in communication, policies, and procedures 

Health Equity

Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.  In order to achieve health equity, we must acknowledge social determinants of health and health disparities that persist in our communities.  It is also essential to address racism as a threat to public health and the histories of unethical and biased public health practices that have led to inequity.

Social Determinants of Health

Social Determinants of Health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, learn, work, and age, which are shaped by a set of forces beyond the control of the individual.  These forces include factors such as housing, education, and income, as well as broader systems such as economics, public policy, and social policy.  When these determinants disproportionately affect a specific population such as racist and discriminatory policies, it results in the health disparities we see today. 

Health Disparities

Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.  Health disparities are inequitable and are directly related to the historical and current unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources.

Racism as a Threat to Public Health

Racism negatively affects the mental and physical health of millions of people, preventing them from attaining their highest level of health, and consequently, affecting the health of our nation.   The impact of racism on social determinants of health is pervasive.  Research has shown us that racial and ethnic minority groups, throughout the United States, experience higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and heart disease, when compared to their White counterparts.  To promote health and well-being for all, especially for those in our Newton community, we must work to confront the systems of inequality that have allowed these health inequities to persist.