How are civil rights, advocacy, and equity a concern? 

To build up a functional democracy, civil rights are fundamental. To live robustly within a functional democracy, supported by efficacious civil rights, the elimination of health disparities needs to be realized. How can public health agents be catalysts for an equitable, honorable social environment that promotes health and social justice?

Civil rights are designed to be assurances of equal social opportunity and legal protection regardless of ethnicity, religion, or other traits. Examples of civil rights include the right to public education, a fair trial, government services, and voting ability. Civil rights are safeguarded by proactive government action, frequently in the form of legislation, as opposed to civil liberties, which are freedoms guaranteed by imposing restrictions on the government. In several democracies, the civil rights of the LGBTQIA+ population have recently been prioritized in political discussions (Hamlin, 2023).

Social determinants of health, with respect to civil rights, are designed to guide decision-making, name explicit factors that can facilitate or hinder a person’s health risk and link explicit factors to structurally biased behaviors that have influenced policy, systems, and environments.

 
“Equity means the absence of unfair and preventable disparities between groups of people classified socio-demographically, economically, or by other aspects such as age, sex, ethnicity, or disability … Health equity is attained when everyone can live up to their full potential in terms of health and well-being (World Health Organization, 2010).”

Health equity is one kind of civil right. Yet health equity is not politically recognized as such by all nations or cultures. Unfortunately, many social and environmental obstacles hinder health equity. Thus, we need health advocacy. Health advocacy can fill the gaps so people can access affordable, effective, high-quality healthcare (Carleton, 2021).

Learning Objectives:

1. By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to discuss how the Civil Rights Movement relates to the Social Determinates of Health.

2. By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to translate the content into public health advocacy related to healthcare for all.

For reference:

1. Carleton, S. C. (2021, March 10). What is health advocacy? Northeastern University Graduate Programs. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/what-is-health-advocacy/

2. Hahn, R. A., Truman, B. I., & Williams, D. R. (2018). Civil rights as determinants of public health and racial and Ethnic Health Equity: Health Care, education, employment, and housing in the United States. SSM - Population Health, 4, 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2017.10.006

3. Hamlin, R. (2023, March 16). Civil rights. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/civil-rights

4. World Health Organization. (‎2010)‎. A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/44489 

5. US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2022). Social determinants of health. Accessed August 24, 2022. https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health

SOPHE, including its chapters, is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is pending for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 1 total Category I Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH).