And among low-income children, most of the decay goes untreated. Of course not. And we have no illusions as we begin our work toward our goals. We know that these health disparities often mirror inequalities in income and education among groups so much so that income and education often serve as proxy measures for health status. In general, groups with higher rates of illness and death have higher poverty rates and less education.
Higher incomes allow access to medical care, better housing and safer neighborhoods.
More education gives individuals more access to information that promotes health-enhancing habits and behaviors. Working to eliminate these differences is the right thing to do. And there are many things we can and will do to meet our goals. Reducing disparities is more a matter of human cooperation than scientific inspiration. Those of us who help set national health policy must reach out to create real and meaningful partnerships with community health officials and professionals.