Health Inequities: Structural Causes, Intervention Strategies, and Methodological Challenges
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 874
Special Issue Editors
Interests: health inequalities; multiple disadvantage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Health inequalities, the observable differences in health outcomes between individuals and groups defined by socio-economic status, geography, demographic characteristics, and other social determinants, have been well-documented. Critically, many of these differences constitute health inequities: avoidable, unjust disparities rooted in systemic social, economic, and political structures. Despite longstanding recognition and their place on both political and public health agendas, these inequities persist. Global challenges, including climate change, political instability and conflict, forced displacement, and prolonged periods of economic austerity, compound existing inequities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable. Addressing health inequities is, therefore, an increasingly urgent priority for research, policy, and practice. Those trying to intervene face substantial challenges, including the need to act at multiple levels to influence the complex systems that create and perpetuate these disparities. Researchers also encounter methodological hurdles—ranging from diverse ways of measuring inequalities and varying guidance and checklists, to contextual differences between low- and middle-income versus high-income countries, and the inherent complexity in understanding causes and designing effective interventions.
This Special Issue invites contributions that advance knowledge on health equity in terms of methodology or implementation. We welcome papers that explore new approaches to measuring inequalities, the development or evaluation of approaches to tackling health inequities, and systems-level perspectives. Submissions focusing on underserved and marginalised populations, where the impacts of inequity are most pronounced, are also encouraged.
Prof. Dr. Christopher J. Gidlow
Dr. Naomi Ellis
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- health inequality
- equity
- disparities
- disadvantage
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