Law Commons^™

Health Inequalities, Lawrence O. Gostin, Eric A. Friedman

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The vast health inequalities in the United States and beyond that COVID-19 makes glaringly evident are frequently masked by aggregate statistics, which for years had been showing health improvements. Yet these improvements were inequitably distributed, with benefits disproportionately going to wealthier – and in the United States, white – populations. Globally, vast health inequities also exist among and within countries. The inequalities, which have also helped fuel the rise of populism, extend far beyond health care, including to wealth and income. Disaggregated, granular data is critical to understanding these inequalities.

Addressing health inequities must extend far beyond universal access to …