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Having reviewed my initial forum post, with minimal changes, I uphold my views that health equality and health disparities represent one of the most significant challenges facing the health of the global population given its correlation with good health and well-being (goal 3). With that said, I feel it's important to back away from using the terms health equality and health disparities using instead the term health equity. Notably, this change results from research conducted during module seven in which I happened upon the following quote.

Equity is the absence of avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically, or geographically. Health inequities, therefore, involve more than inequality with respect to health determinants, access to the resources needed to improve and maintain health or health outcomes. They also entail a failure to avoid or overcome inequalities that infringe on fairness and human rights norms. (World Health Organization, 2018, para. 1)

Thus, health inequities and health disparities become interchangeable as forms of unjust health differences, which unfavorably affect groups of people.

As such, "equity is the process and equality is the outcome" ("Equity", 2016, para. 2). In other words, "the route to achieving equity will not be accomplished through treating everyone equally. It will be achieved by treating everyone equitably, or justly according to their circumstances" (Dressel, 2014, para, 2). Notably, sustainable development goals one (poverty) and two (hunger) are linked to good health and well-being (goal 3), which in turn correlates with equity (United Nations, 2015). Thus, it's my view that by addressing equity on a global scale, you begin to break down the exasperating challenges associated with poverty, hunger, and good health and well-being.

With that said, the knowledge obtained throughout this course will prove beneficial as I further carve my career pathway in the areas of both public health and community health education as it relates to HIV/AIDS. The latter has been an area of extreme interest since the beginning of the epidemic back in the early 80s, yet that interest intensified ten-fold when, after 25 years of safely navigating the gay culture, I was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 41. Now ten years later, I stand in amazement that the vulnerabilities that led to my diagnosis persist; thus, continue to place the sexual health of today's youth at an increased risk. Subsequently, having completed this course, I feel more prepared to address the increased incidences of HIV within Phoenix's LGBT community.

In closing, I feel confident in suggesting that each chapter of the course textbook has content that's applicable to my field of work at the community level. Notable chapters that helped develop skills include chapters two (Culture, Behavior, and Health), four (Reproductive Health), five (Infectious Diseases), six (Nutrition), nine (Mental Health), and 14 (Pharmaceuticals). Each chapter addresses issues that directly affect persons living with HIV. As such, the knowledge gained when applied proves beneficial to improving the health and well-being of persons affected by HIV/AIDS.

References

Dressel, P. (2014). Racial equality or racial equity: The difference it makes. http://racemattersinstitute.org/blog/Racial-Equality-Racial-Equity-%20Whats-the-Difference-What-Difference-Does-It-Make

Equity. (2016). In the Glossary of Education Reform. http://edglossary.org/equity/

United Nations. (2015). Sustainable development goals: 17 goals to transform our world. http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

World Health Organization. (2018). Health Systems: Equity. http://www.who.int/healthsystems/topics/equity/en/