At this point, COVID-19 has been a part of our lives for nearly six months now. While the most recent current events are not unfamiliar social problems, this pandemic has provided us with a stronger lens with which to see many of the underlying inequities within our communities.  This article, “The Moral Determinants of Health,” explores these inequities by illustrating the systemic imbalances within the field of medicine and the amount of resources we allocate to solving problems as opposed to preventing them.

     Using the understanding that there are social and environmental factors that significantly impact both physical and mental health outcomes, six categories have been identified including conditions of birth and early childhood, education, work, the social circumstances of elders, community resilience (transportation, housing, security, community self-efficacy), and fairness (sufficient distribution of income and wealth). While we have come to view medicine as the solution to what ails us, the truth is that these social determinants have a far greater impact on overall health than any medical advancements. With this knowledge, the article puts forth a call for action in the form of an actual investment in the health and well-being of both individuals and communities as a moral obligation of a society. Reimagining healthcare as a community-based solution to the multitude of risk factors communities of color face is to truly invest in community resilience and social justice.