"Strategies for Improving Access to Healthcare in Underserved Communities"
- Wellness for All
- Oct 5, 2025
- 1 min read
Intro: According to the US Government Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Department, about 1 in 10 people in the United States lack health insurance. Situations are even worse in India; only one bed is available per 2000 citizens. How can we advocate public access to healthcare in these regions? In this post, we delve into the strategies to improve public healthcare access in underserved communities.
Why does inequity in healthcare access take place?
Social factors
These include education, income, employment, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
Environmental factors
These include air quality, access to healthy food, and the quality of schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Increase health literacy
Health literacy: the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to make health-related decisions
Manafo et al. reveal that health literacy programs can help vulnerable groups gain more control over their health in their study.
Providing More Resources
Whether it be human resources (workforce, healthcare professionals, etc), monetary resources, or knowledge about healthcare, providing more resources to vulnerable communities can help them overcome low health equity.
Increase access to medications
Allowing patients to manage their health through prescribed medication would help reduce health disparities among citizens as they “[decrease] avoidable health care utilization and costs, and reduces mortality.” (https://phrma.org/Equity/Addressing-Disparities-in-Medication-Access-and-Adherence#:~:text=Addressing%20Disparities%20in%20Medication%20Access%20and%20Adherence,access%20to%20medicines%20disproportionately%20impact%20underserved%20populations.)
Comments