Health Equity

BEIJING – November 04, 2026 -- China invested approximately 1.4 trillion yuan in health-related poverty alleviation between 2015 and 2020, according to a Lancet Commission report launched at Tsinghua University on October 29.

The Commission, led by Tsinghua University and chaired by Margaret Chan, Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health and WHO Director-General Emeritus, analyzed four years of data on China's health poverty alleviation policies and their implementation.

Out-of-pocket inpatient costs for the poor fell ten percentage points

The share of inpatient expenses paid out of pocket by people living in poverty declined from 41.0% in 2013 to 31.0% in 2018. A national monitoring system now tracks more than 80 million low-income rural residents to identify risks of health-related poverty.

Fairfax, Va. – November 02, 2026 -- Nearly 95,000 social media views of Allergy & Asthma Network's Oral Corticosteroids (OCS) Overexposed campaign were recorded, and 62% of them came from four large states, according to research the nonprofit will present at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo in San Antonio, Texas.

Selected states with higher asthma burden and greater barriers to healthcare accounted for smaller shares of views. The campaign educates patients about the risks of repeated oral corticosteroid use and encourages informed conversations with healthcare providers.

Bonn – November 02, 2026 -- Deutsche Krebshilfe is funding six research projects with a total of €3.1 million over three years to examine how social inequality shapes cancer care and what financial damage a diagnosis causes. The new priority program, "Krebs und Armut" (Cancer and Poverty), targets a gap the charity describes as insufficiently researched.

Gerd Nettekoven, the charity's executive board member, said a patient's social and financial situation should not determine the quality of care or the chances of living with and after cancer. He said the program is also meant to give evidence for pressing health and social policy makers to close existing deficits.

SAN ANTONIO – October 30, 2026 -- A new national coalition, The Pet Variable, will lobby to have the human-animal bond recognized as a social determinant of health (SDoH) in federal, state and local policy, citing research that up to 70% of American families include a pet.

The group launches with nine founding members across public health, veterinary medicine, housing, social services, research and policy. They are CARE (Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity), Annie & Millie's Place, RedRover, BestyBnB, My Dog is My Home, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine, JVR Strategies and The Pet Vet Connection.

Nashville – October 22, 2026 -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) installed Kisha Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP, as president, placing a county health chief and former Medicaid adviser at the head of an organization representing 124,500 family physicians, residents and medical students.

Davis brings Medicaid policy and county public health experience to the AAFP presidency

Davis is chief health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. She previously served as vice chair of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), advising Congress, the secretary of Health and Human Services and states on Medicaid policy.

She was also vice president of health equity at Aledade, where she worked to reduce disparities in primary care, and medical director at CHI Health Care in Maryland. As a White House Fellow, she worked to better align the nation's food and health safety nets.

Washington – October 19, 2026 -- Tigerlily Foundation will hold two events at the Grand Hyatt Washington on Saturday, October 24, 2026, marking 20 years of operations: the 4th Annual BEACON Symposium and the 20th Anniversary EmPOWER Ball.

BEACON Symposium runs 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET on clinical trials and drug pricing

The daytime program, titled "Transformation with Patients Leading in Healthcare," will run under the theme "From Access to Action: Scaling Patient-Led Solutions for an Equitable Future." It will gather patient advocates, healthcare leaders, providers and scientific experts.

Two topics anchor the agenda: building more equitable, community-centered clinical trials, and how drug pricing policies affect patients and access. Organizers say collaborative sessions are designed to move participants from identifying problems to contributing potential solutions.

Phoenix – October 14, 2026 -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Health Choice (AZ Blue Health Choice) brought more than 200 tribal leaders, healthcare professionals, educators and partners to Flagstaff for the 13th Annual Tribal Summit, as the insurer serves members from 17 tribal nations.

Summit focuses on maternal, behavioral and workforce issues

The event, themed "Unity in Action: Bridging Systems, Strengthening Communities," centered on collaboration and shared learning to improve health outcomes across Arizona's tribal nations. Discussions covered maternal and child health, behavioral health, Indigenous health equity, workforce development and culturally responsive approaches to care.

Attendees shared best practices, explored emerging challenges and identified opportunities to strengthen support. The summit has served as a forum for tribal health leaders and organizations for more than a decade.

Chicago – September 20, 2026 -- National Medical Fellowships (NMF) has awarded more than $50 million in scholarships and supported over 32,000 scholars across all 50 states since its founding in 1946, the organization announced ahead of its 80th anniversary celebration this October in Chicago, where its mission began.

NMF marks eight decades of funding medical education pathways

The nonprofit's support has extended beyond scholarships to mentorship, career development, service-learning programs, and clinical research leadership training for aspiring and current health professionals. Alumni from the program have gone on to work as physicians, educators, and health care leaders serving communities nationwide.