How Public Health Professionals Advance Health Equity
Expert Insights From Tufts MPH Faculty
Health equity isn’t a buzzword. It’s the backbone of meaningful, lasting progress in public health. Earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree prepares you to promote equity by addressing health disparities, increasing awareness, designing effective policies, and more.
Wondering what you can do for a more equitable society? Tufts University faculty members, Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, MPH, PhD, and Ramnath Subbaraman, MD, share their expert insights on how public health professionals can help advance health equity.
On This Page
- The Importance of Health Equity
- 5 Ways to Advance Health Equity
- The Tufts MPH Approach
- How to Become a Leader in Public Health Equity
- Get an MPH Degree at Tufts
Why Health Equity Is Important
Why is health equity so critical to public health? Because, as Dr. Subbaraman puts it, "we're never going to achieve better outcomes for everyone unless we address inequity."
The U.S. has shorter life expectancy and worse health outcomes than peer countries with a similar economic status. These statistics are not due to a lack of innovation or medical talent but to systemic exclusion: populations who are left out of services, policies, and protections.
"Inclusion versus exclusion is the fundamental definition of health equity."
— Dr. Ramnath Subbaraman, Associate Professor, Public Health & Community Medicine
5 Ways to Improve Health Equity as a Public Health Professional
There is no single path to promoting health equity, and public health professionals play a pivotal role in leading systematic change. Here are five ways you can help achieve health equity:
1. Listen to Community Voices
Real public health starts with listening to the community's needs. That means engaging with communities directly, understanding their lived experiences, and shaping solutions in response to what they share.
Dr. Subbaraman’s work in improving population health in informal settlements in India started with community research. "That was my real education in public health," he says. During one summer, he walked alongside residents to map more than 80 informal settlements on the coast of Mumbai. “I talked to people in these communities, hearing about their challenges in accessing basic resources like water, sanitation, and electricity.”
2. Increase Health Awareness
Improving health equity is not possible without raising public awareness of health. Educating the public, especially people in underserved communities, can dismantle the systemic barriers that create health disparities.
At Tufts, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha leads the Maternal Outcomes for Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab, which actively educates Black women about maternal health and access to healthcare services. The lab shares knowledge through community workshops, digital campaigns, and partnerships with Black-led organizations, equipping women to advocate for their own care and push for systemic reform.
“Public health professionals are committed to population-level prevention of illness. We're committed to training and increasing awareness and making people understand the options that are available to them.”
— Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health and Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Public Health & Community Medicine
3. Address the Social Determinants of Health
Health begins in housing, food systems, the environment, education, and infrastructure. “And in fact, a very large proportion of our health outcomes are actually determined by social and environmental determinants of health,” Dr. Subbaraman explains. “It's probably larger than the proportion of health outcomes that are attributable to medical care itself.”
Dr. Subbaraman encourages public health leaders to take a long-term perspective and recognize that it may take years of advocacy to change the social determinants of health. For example, bans on smoking in public places have been one of the most effective interventions to reduce tobacco-related health issues in the United States. But that took years of effort to bring to fruition, from the early evidence of health impacts of smoking to the legislation that led to improved public health outcomes.
4. Promote Equity Through Policy Advocacy
Although it may take a longer time to push health legislation, policy remains one of the most powerful tools in the public health toolkit.
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s advocacy for Black maternal health demonstrates how public health and policy work together to achieve better outcomes. “Members of the MOTHER Lab and members of our Tufts community were instrumental in getting the passage of a suite of bills called the Maternal Health omnibus through the House of Representatives and the Senate in Massachusetts. It was signed into law by our Governor in August 2024.”
Dr. Subbaraman joined a community-based research organization called Pukar in India. One of the projects was vaccination in an informal settlement. They used community data to pressure Mumbai officials to provide vaccines and water access—raising vaccination rates from 30% to 90% in just a few years.
5. Expand Your Influence Across Sectors
One of the great things about public health is that professionals can lead changes in health equity across different fields such as clinical medicine, NGOs, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions.
“To advance health equity effectively, we need to enter both core public health fields and fields outside of public health to make a difference. Tufts MPH students do that in many of the practical experiences during our program,” Dr. Subbaraman points out.
Discover where MPH graduates work.
From the Classroom to the Community: Tufts’ MPH Approach
At Tufts, public health students don’t wait until graduation to contribute to health equity. The emphasis on social justice and equity is seamlessly woven into the curriculum and Engaged Practice.
In the classroom, students examine the social and political contexts of health, using case studies and ethnography to connect theory with lived experience. Dr. Subbaraman uses multimedia and qualitative narratives to help students understand global health equity on a personal level.
Outside the classroom, students participate in applied learning, including research and internships that advocate for health equity. For example, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha welcomes MPH students who are passionate about maternal health to join the MOTHER Lab. Faculty members also help connect students with non-profits, community-based organizations, and government agencies such as the Boston Public Health Commission and the State Department of Public Health.
How to Become a Leader in Public Health Equity
What makes a strong public health leader? According to Tufts faculty, it starts with a mindset and a mix of technical and soft skills.
- Humility: "Humility is the most important skill," says Dr. Subbaraman, especially in global health. Leaders must recognize they are allies—not saviors—and learn from those closest to the issues.
- Data Fluency and Biostatistics: Public health change must be evidence-based. Leaders need the skills to collect, analyze, and interpret data, and use it to drive equitable policies, evaluate impact, and advocate with credibility.
- Systemic Awareness: Inequity is a result of systemic issues that are deeply rooted in our society, including wealth, education, housing, employment, and more. History and culture affect global health.
- Long-Term Commitment: Effective leadership isn’t fleeting—it requires consistency, resilience, and a deep investment in change.
“People are not all starting from the same place in life, whether that's economically, physically, or geographically. One of the things I enjoy most in public health is the ability to work towards optimal outcomes for everyone.”
— Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health and Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Public Health & Community Medicine
Get an MPH Degree at Tufts: Join Us to Make a Difference
Is now a good time to pursue public health? Dr. Amutah-Onukagha has the answer: “Public health is more important now than ever. This is the time for more people to pursue careers in public health, more people who are curious and compassionate, and leaders to come to the forefront.”
At Tufts School of Medicine, health equity isn’t just a module; it’s the lens through which every public health problem is approached. Join us to create a healthier and equitable world.
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