CDC’s CORE Commitment to Health Equity

The future health of the nation will be determined to a large extent by how effectively we work with communities to eliminate health disparities among those populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease, disability, and death.

Persistent health disparities in our country are unacceptable and correctable. CDC’s Office of Health Equity exists to ensure health equity is embedded in an all-of-public health approach to overcoming persistent health disparities and health inequities across a range of population groups that disproportionately experience poor health outcomes.

Through CDC’s CORE Health Equity Science Intervention Strategy, centers are collaborating with multi-sectoral partners to incorporate health equity as a foundational component in all our work. We are committed to bringing together partners from various sectors to gain collective expertise and perspectives, inform next steps, and create a shared commitment to reduce health inequities.

CDC CORE Health Equity Science and Intervention Strategy image text

CDC’s CORE Health Equity Strategy is designed to work in collaboration and lock step with multi-sectoral partners to transform our work at its very core and strengthen our ability to keep our nation safe and healthy – today and in the future.

This new strategy challenges our CDC centers to incorporate health equity and efforts to address health disparities as a foundational element across all our work – from science and research to programs, and from partnerships to workforce.

Through the CORE strategy, CDC is integrating health equity into the fabric of our work at all levels. Each division has submitted health equity action plans that are being incorporated into a broad, unified agency-wide strategy. The division action plans include:

• Goals and associated targets
• Concrete milestones for the next 6-12 months
• Indicators to monitor progress
• Key partnerships

To ensure an effective health equity strategy for our nation, CDC is committed to bringing together partners from various sectors to gain collective expertise and perspectives, inform next steps, and create a shared commitment to reduce health inequities. Only through a combination of strong science, interventions, evaluation, partnership, policy, communication, and workforce enhancement can we achieve our vision of ensuring all people have an opportunity to live as healthy as possible.