Community development: A promising approach to addressing health inequalities

Despite significant advancements in global health technologies and healthcare services, health inequality persists, mostly affecting marginalised and poor populations.

An approach that goes beyond biomedically oriented healthcare strategies is required to tackle inequalities within modern healthcare. Adopting a community development approach presents a viable strategy to address the fundamental causes of health disparities in countries across the globe.

Viewing health inequalities through a community development lens may be a promising strategy to examine the wider determinants of health, which are the root causes of disparities in healthcare. The wider determinants of health encompass the socio-economic, socio-political, environmental, and socio-cultural factors that shape health outcomes. Therefore, interventions targeted at health inequalities must go beyond traditional biomedically-oriented public health strategies. Such interventions must embrace an approach that deeply considers these determinants and mobilises community members and assets to create and sustain change. By tackling the root causes of health inequalities, healthcare systems can make strong strides towards achieving fairer health outcomes for all.

Additionally, community development emphasises multisectoral collaboration and partnership. In the context of health and social care, adopting a community development approach requires full collaboration among community development experts and other stakeholders at various levels, including community members, community organisations, policymakers, and healthcare professionals. Recognising the multifaceted nature of health inequalities highlights the need for multisectoral action because health and social care providers cannot address health inequalities in isolation. By leveraging the collective resources and expertise of diverse partners, interventions to address health inequalities can be more effective and sustainable, leading to greater impact at the community level.

Community development has been used effectively to promote health equity in several well-executed initiatives around the globe. An exemplary instance is the World Health Organization's "Healthy Cities" program, which promotes healthier lifestyles for city dwellers and addresses significant urban health issues, including social, environmental and economic factors.

Embracing a community development strategy is crucial for tackling health inequalities in today’s healthcare landscape. By empowering communities, encouraging participatory decision-making and fostering partnerships across sectors, this approach shows significant potential for promoting health equity.

Additional resources:
Strategies and indicators to integrate health equity in health service and delivery systems in high-income countries: a scoping review