Promoting Health Equity for Vulnerable Groups in Low-Resource Settings
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 October 2026 | Viewed by 20
Special Issue Editor
Interests: public health; health promotion; health systems; health policy and planning; healthcare; infectious diseases; nursing care; epidemiology; infection control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Health equity is a central pillar of global health, emphasizing fairness in access to care and outcomes across populations [1,2]. Vulnerable groups, including those in low-resource settings, rural communities, migrants, people with disabilities, and marginalized populations, face systemic barriers that exacerbate inequities [3,4]. Closing these gaps is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (health) and SDG 10 (inequality) [5]. From the Alma-Ata Declaration [6] to the Astana Declaration [7], global commitments have recognized equity as a foundation of universal health coverage (UHC). Yet, despite decades of progress, inequities persist in low- and middle-income countries [8]. This Special Issue aims to advance dialog and evidence on promoting health equity in low-resource settings and among vulnerable groups. We welcome contributions that address the following:
- Social and structural determinants of health inequities.
- Equity-oriented health financing and policy reforms.
- Culturally responsive health promotion and prevention.
- Digital and community-based innovations for underserved populations.
- Governance frameworks enabling inclusive health systems.
- Empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods).
- Policy analyses and equity-focused reviews.
- Case studies showcasing innovative practices.
- Theoretical and conceptual papers on equity and justice.
- Implementation research on scaling equity-promoting interventions in LMICs
We invite original research articles, systematic reviews, case studies, and policy analysis papers that address disease-specific health equity framed within the SDGs, including but not limited to the following:
- Communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria (SDG 3.3)
- Non-communicable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes (SDG 3.4) [5]
- Maternal, neonatal, and child health inequities (SDG 3.1, 3.2)
- Mental health and substance use (SDG 3.4, 3.5)
- Health inequities in pandemic preparedness and universal health coverage (SDG 3.8, 3.d)
Reference
- Marmot, M.; Friel, S.; Bell, R.; Houweling, T.A.; Taylor, S.; Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Lancet 2008, 372, 1661–1669. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(08)61690-6.
- World Health Organization. A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. Available online: https://www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/2017-06/SDH_conceptual_framework_for_action.pdf (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- World Health Organization. Equity, social determinants and public health programmes. Available online: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44289/9789241563970_eng.pdf (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- E Kruk, M.; Gage, A.D.; Arsenault, C.; Jordan, K.; Leslie, H.H.; Roder-DeWan, S.; Adeyi, O.; Barker, P.; Daelmans, B.; Doubova, S.V.; et al. High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: time for a revolution. Lancet Glob. Health 2018, 6, e1196–e1252. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(18)30386-3
- United Nations. Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Available online: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- World Health Organization. Declaration of Alma-Ata. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Primary Health Care, Alma-Ata, USSR, 6–12 September 1978; WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 1978. Available online: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/starfield/declaration_alma… (accessed on 21 December 2022).
- World Health Organization, UNICEF. Declaration of Astana. Global Conference on Primary Health Care, Astana, Kazakhstan. Geneva: WHO; 2018. Available online: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/primary-health/declaration/gcphc-declaration.pdf (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- Victora, C.G.; Barros, A.J.; Axelson, H.; A Bhutta, Z.; Chopra, M.; França, G.V.; Kerber, K.; Kirkwood, B.R.; Newby, H.; Ronsmans, C.; et al. How changes in coverage affect equity in maternal and child health interventions in 35 Countdown to 2015 countries: an analysis of national surveys. Lancet 2012, 380, 1149–1156. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61427-5.
Dr. Takalani Grace Tshitangano
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- health promotion
- health policy and systems
- health program development and evaluation
- infection control
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