Vast literature shows a causal relation between social and economic inequality and health inequality. People in communities with higher crime rates, poorer quality schools, longer firefighting response times, decreased access to nutritious foods, and multiple stressors will have higher blood pressure and more chronic conditions than people in more prosperous communities. Populations excluded from access to resources, shelter, a stable ecosystem, and full participation in mainstream social life experience greater stress and worse health outcomes.
Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?, produced by California Newsreel with Vital Pictures, scheduled for early spring broadcast on PBS, is a 4-hour documentary series that will, for the first time on television, investigate the sources of our huge and alarming socioeconomic and racial inequities in the distribution of disease and illness. The series sorts through evidence that suggests that the social environment in which we are born, live, and work profoundly affects our well-being and longevity. Indeed, the conditions of social existence are shown to be the primary determinants of health status. The film explores how socioeconomic inequality and racism and their cumulative impact get under the skin, explaining why some populations get sicker more often than others. The findings of all the research in the last two decades that documents these relationships have not been translated in the popular media to explain how social policy creates health inequity.
NACCHO, in collaboration with California Newsreel, is engaged in a public impact Health Equity Campaign (kicked off at the 2007 NACCHO Annual Conference) as part of a national effort to reframe the national debate about and build public support for organized action to eliminate health inequities. With financial support from The California Endowment, NACCHO provided an initial group of 100 local health departments (LHDs) resources and support to convene a "town-hall" meeting, using the documentary series to educate and advocate for health equity at the local level.
The series, scheduled for DVD release in winter 2008, is a tool health practitioners and advocates can use to
* educate constituents about the extent and root causes of health inequities;
* foster discussion to devise in-depth strategies and initiatives that address health inequities; and
* build alliances, organize, and mobilize within and across professional and jurisdictional sectors to promote health equity.
As of October 2007, more than 65 LHDs had joined the Health Equity Campaign and committed to using the series in town-hall meetings that assemble community representatives; health practitioners and other stakeholders, such as heads of housing, transportation, and planning agencies; and elected public officials. The point is to build coalitions across sectors capable of educating and advocating for health equity. LHDs identify specific goals and objectives as they relate to the local landscape. Focused dialogue enables participants to plan concrete, ongoing action steps to tackle health inequities. NACCHO lists all the LHDs that sign up on its Web site so that the LHDs can share information.
NACCHO, in conjunction with California Newsreel, provides the following tools to support town-hall meetings and encourages LHDs to contact one another to share best practices:
* a town-hall meeting toolkit designed for the NACCHO Health Equity Campaign;
* a DVD of Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick-available free of charge from NACCHO for the first 100 LHDs; and
* community engagement materials and handouts such as event planning tools, discussion guides for each episode, discussion questions, fact sheets, a health equity quiz, an action guide, and Web-based resources.
In addition, NACCHO is working with a communications firm to engage the media to generate coverage about how health inequities affect population health and peoples' lives more generally. Through this work, NACCHO spotlights innovative community-based measures and national policies that can make a difference. The Unnatural Causes Web site serves as a hub for outreach and provides a unique on-line gathering place for those interested in learning and doing more.
To learn more and join NACCHO's Health Equity Campaign, contact Nandi Troutman ([email protected]) or visit http://www.naccho.org/topics/justice/. To learn more about Unnatural Causes, visit http://www.unnaturalcauses.org.