Health disparities are not a new phenomenon. There has always been a divide between the wealthy and those less well-resourced in terms of their access to health care, living conditions and community environments, food availability, and even education regarding improving their health.
While people living in low- and middle-income economies continue to suffer from lack of universal health coverage and investment in their health services and systems - not to mention lack of funding for research into diseases that do not affect wealthier nations - health inequalities are being further exposed among different sociodemographic groups within high-income economies. Without health equity, the disproportionate distribution of wealth and all-round wellbeing cannot be addressed. Through the interdisciplinary research we publish, Springer Nature hopes to play a part in helping influence decision-makers to formulate policies based on evidence towards achieving global health equity. Our publishing teams have selected content from our books, journals, magazines and other resources to highlight health inequalities and how to address them.