Health Justice Strategies to Combat the Pandemic: Eliminating Discrimination, Poverty, and Health Disparities During and After COVID-19

This article describes strategies to address social determinants of health (SDoH) and recommendations to reduce disparities based on the health justice framework. The health justice framework offers three principles: structural, supportive, and empowering. First, legal and policy responses must address the structural determinants of health. Second, interventions mandating healthy behaviors must be accompanied by material support and legal protections to enable compliance while minimizing harm. Third, historically marginalized communities must be engaged and empowered as leaders in the development and implementation of interventions and the attainment of health justice. The article applies this framework to the following SDoH: discrimination, poverty, health care, housing, and employment.

Resource Details

• Setting/Context of Implementation: Community
• Topics of Practice: Policy Change/ Development
• Outcomes of Interest: Advancing Racial Equity|Reduction of Health Disparities
• Level of Evidence: Emerging
• Tools or Materials Included in Resource: No
• Social Determinants of Health: Economic Stability|Healthcare Access and Quality|Neighborhood and Built Environment
• Outside of US: No