Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Monitoring health inequalities is crucial to identify differences in health between different population subgroups. This provides evidence on who is being left behind and informs health policies, programmes and practices that aim to close existing gaps and achieve health equity.
Health equity indicators
- Reproductive health interventions
- Maternal health interventions
– Pregnant women sleeping under insecticide-treated nets
– Antenatal care coverage
– Births attended by skilled health personnel
– Births by caesarean section - Newborn and child health interventions
– Preventive care
– Childhood immunization
– Care-seeking for sick children - Health outcomes
– Fertility
– Obesity in non-pregnant women
– Child malnutrition
– Child mortality
