Research summary
A variety of countries, including Canada, aspire to equity in health and health care. But policy-makers face challenges when it comes to taking appropriate steps to reduce health inequities. This is largely because they don’t fully understand how to intervene effectively to influence the social determinants of health-that is, the non-medical factors that influence health, such as education, housing, racism, pollution, job opportunities and more.
Dr. Mohammad Hajizadeh, Canada Research Chair in Health Economics, is confronting these challenges. He and his research team are examining the socio-economic inequalities in health and health care as well as their causes. They are also studying the effects of health and public policies on equity in health and health care. Ultimately, their work will inform policy-making to help ensure all citizens have equal access to health and health care.