ABSTRACT
There is growing evidence that health inequalities are not only a function of the maldistribution of economic and social resources that lie outside the health system but are also exacerbated by differential access to health services. Any comprehensive strategy to reduce avoidable inequalities in health must therefore try to improve equality of access to healthcare. Unfortunately, evidence about the existence of such inequality is easier to find than is detailed guidance about effective interventions that tackle the problem. This chapter therefore has two main aims, first, to summarize some of the most recent or compelling evidence about inequalities in access to healthcare, and second, to outline some of the approaches that have been advocated to improve it.
