This presentation provides an overview of the large and persistent socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in health. After highlighting the distinctive social exposures linked to racial status, it draws on scientific research, which documents that tackling the social determinants of health can lead to improvements in health and reductions in health inequities. The focus will be on both interventions within the healthcare system that address some of the social determinants of health, as well as, interventions in upstream factors (such as housing, neighborhood conditions, economic well-being and investing in early childhood development) that can lead to improvements in health and reduced social inequities in health.
David R. Williams is the Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Professor of African and African American Studies and Sociology at Harvard University. Previously, he served 6 years on the faculty of Yale University and 14 at the University of Michigan. He holds an MPH from Loma Linda University and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan.