WHAT IS HEALTH EQUITY? While the term health equity is often used, definitions can vary. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain their “full health potential” and no one is “disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.”

Addressing Racial Equity in Health and Beyond

At NICHQ, we’re dedicated to ensuring all children achieve their optimal health. This requires increasing access to health and working together to implement systems changes rooted in anti-racism and equity.

The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality joins the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in encouraging communities to talk about the impact of racism and the need for racial justice and racial healing during the seventh annual National Day of Racial Healing on January 17, 2023. The day is an opportunity to bring all people together and inspire collective action to create a more just and equitable world.

National Day of Racial Healing 2023

JAN. 17: NATIONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING

Join organizations like NICHQ in spreading the word about this year’s National Day of Racial Healing, and invite friends, family, colleagues to start a conversation. On Jan. 17, tune in at 10 p.m. EST for a live MSNBC townhall from New Orleans. Noticias Telemundo will stream a Spanish-language townhall at 7 p.m. EST.

Use the hashtag #HowWeHeal to share your virtual conversations!

Download Resources for Engaging in Professional Settings

NICHQ’s Equity Systems Continuum Initiative

The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, with funding by the WKKF, is building upon an evidence-informed conceptual framework known as the Equity Systems Continuum to describe and define the systems that individuals and organizations currently operate within: Supremist-Designed System, Savior-Designed Systems, Ally-Designed Systems, and Equity-Empowered Systems. The Global Infant Safe Sleep Center (GISS) developed the original framework and serves as an ongoing partner in the project.

At the end of this initiative, organizations will be able to identify where they are on the continuum by utilizing an Equity Systems Auditing Tool (ESAT), ultimately identifying ways to improve their organization. As we develop the ESAT, this is also an opportunity for NICHQ to assess, share, and nurture our own internal progress along the Equity Systems Continuum.

Learn More About our Equity Systems Continuum initiative

Learn About NICHQ’s Equity Work

Many disparities in health are rooted in inequities, affecting opportunities and resources needed to be as healthy as possible. We are committed to achieving equity in all forms, including race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability. Join us on our equity journey as we work to make our vision that "every child achieves their optimal health" a reality.

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A Commitment to Anti-Racism

NICHQ has united with three other national maternal and child health organizations in a  public commitment to undoing racism as a key driver to improve maternal and infant health outcomes, highlighting irrefutable disparities in morbidity and mortality rates across racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. Learn more about our joint action plan.