Six Trends Shaping the Future of Health Equity

by Laura Herman, Ben Wise, Laura McEown Dalberg Advisors

Across the United States, people separated by a short drive or a subway stop may have life expectancy gaps of up to 20 years. This is not inevitable; it is not the result of “poor decisions,” “bad genes,” or even poverty. This is the result of discrimination, racism, unfair laws, and policies that influence social determinants of health—access to jobs, education, lending, housing, and more. Recognizing the complex and multifaceted makeup of social determinants of health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Global Ideas for U.S. Solutions team and Dalberg paired up to explore what global trends are shaping the future of U.S. health equity and identify innovative solutions from around the world that can inform U.S. action. The report touches on many of the trends highlighted through Dalberg’s recent conversations on global health trends and covers several topics within the health ecosystem that Dalberg regularly tackles. Here are the six trends the report identifies: 1. Growing Calls for More Equitable Care Work More on this:

2. Compounding Housing Crisis More on this:

3. Growing Demands for Healthy Public Spaces More on this:

4. Surge in Digital Health Information Impacting Wellbeing More on this:

5. Increasing Risks to Nutrition Technology More on this:

6. Greater Longevity More on this:


We look forward to hearing about how you are leveraging these trends to shape health equity in the U.S. and around the world. For comments or questions about the report, contact:

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