OPINION: Health equity means having a fair shot at good health

Health equity is not just an ideal. It’s a guiding light that drives every decision we make at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH).

As the health equity director for NMDOH, I assure you the department is committed to improving lives through programs that meet people where they are both geographically and culturally.

Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to achieve their best possible health. Improving health equity involves addressing barriers to care, including economic, social and environmental challenges. Health inequities are preventable despite unjust differences in health outcomes stemming from unequal access to resources like education, housing and employment.

These inequities are often systemic, resulting from factors beyond an individual’s control, such as poverty and discrimination. Health disparities, on the other hand, refer to differences in health status between groups — like higher diabetes rates in one racial group compared to another.

While health disparities reflect the outcomes, health inequities explain the root causes. We must address and overcome both to create health equity in New Mexico.

There are built-in barriers we must tackle. New Mexico’s life expectancy, averaging 73 years, trails the national average of 76.1 years. Rural communities face additional challenges, including a shortage of health care providers, longer travel distances and limited access to specialists.

Economic hardships, food insecurity and housing instability further impact health outcomes.

There are actions we must take — and we are. NMDOH deploys mobile health units to rural and underserved areas, offering free immunizations, screenings and other care to those who may need it the most.

Language accessibility remains a priority, as over 35% of New Mexicans speak a language other than English at home. NMDOH provides multilingual services and plans to train bilingual workers as qualified medical interpreters in 2025, allowing services to be delivered in languages like Spanish, Diné Bizaad, Zuni and Keres. This will ensure culturally responsive care for tribal and immigrant communities.

Migrant farmworkers, essential to New Mexico’s economy, are often underserved. NMDOH partners with other organizations to provide health education, preventive care and vaccinations in farmworker communities, where viruses like the Avian flu can bring illness and, with it, unemployment.

New Mexico faces one of the nation’s highest child food insecurity rates, with nearly 20% of children lacking consistent access to nutritious food. Food insecurity contributes to chronic health issues like obesity and diabetes, affecting children’s development and academic performance.

We work with food banks, schools and community organizations to provide food assistance and nutritional education. Programs like WIC (Women, Infants and Children) support pregnant women, new mothers and young children. Through targeted policy, funding and partnerships, New Mexico is building a future where everyone can access quality care and the resources needed to live healthy lives.

Our agency is not alone in this quest. Health equity is a collaborative effort. By working closely with sister agencies, such as the Health Care Authority, the Public Education Department and the Children, Youth & Families Department, NMDOH is fostering a cross-sector commitment to addressing social determinants of health and ensuring equity remains the focus.

We work with community-based organizations to provide community-specific services; this includes supporting and partnering with community and tribal health councils.

The New Mexico Department of Health is committed to dismantling health disparities and ensuring all New Mexicans have a fair opportunity to achieve their best health.

To learn more about my office and what we do, visit www.nmhealth.org/about/asd/ohe/.

Susan J. Garcia has served as the New Mexico Department of Health’s health equity director since July 2024.