The CHEM Charter
Our North Star: Principles for Collective Transformation
The Comprehensive Health Equity Movement (CHEM)® exists to ensure that prosperity is a shared reality, not an exclusive privilege. Born from the understanding that lasting change requires coordinated action, we unite diverse organizations and communities to address the root causes of inequity through innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to justice.
Adopted: February 14, 2019
Health Equity Defined
This definition anchors everything we do. It reminds us that true health encompasses not just individual wellness, but the conditions that allow entire communities to thrive. When we work toward health equity, we're building a world where everyone's potential can flourish
"Health Equity is the assuredness of access to full health and wellbeing for all people, despite differences resulting from designations of race, ethnicity, language, age, ability, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other circumstance, identity, or intersection among these."
Vision & Mission
Our Vision
CHEM envisions a world where all people enjoy unfettered access to the resources and opportunities needed to achieve full health, wellbeing, prosperity, and self-actualization.
Our Mission
CHEM is a purpose-driven movement committed to pioneering innovative solutions that optimize Ubuntu (our interconnectedness), social, economic, environmental, and human determinants of health to create a society of true health equity, as defined by the CHEM Pillars of Health Equity®.
The Values That Guide Us
Ubuntu
We recognize that individual wellness is inseparable from community wellbeing, and that genuine transformation happens when we act from love and mutual responsibility for one another's thriving
Integrity
We uphold the highest ethical standards
Innovation
We embrace creative solutions to complex challenges
Collaboration
We foster partnerships to amplify our impact
Sustainability
We balance short-term needs with long-term well-being
Accountability
We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences
Empowerment
We equip individuals and communities with tools for self-determination
Equity
We strive for the assuredness of access to opportunities and optimal outcomes for all
Pathways to Transformation
Recognizing that lasting transformation requires coordinated action across all aspects of community life, we pursue these integrated pathways:
Build strategic coalitions
among public, private and community partners that amplify our collective power
Create culturally-responsive education
that honors diverse ways of knowing
Develop community-owned solutions
that generate shared prosperity
Transform degraded land and spaces
into places of healing and abundance
Implement data-driven initiatives
to demonstrate impact while remaining accountable to communities
Advance research
that bridges ancestral wisdom and innovation
Dismantle barriers
in policy that perpetuate health inequities
CHEM is Complexly
Integrated
Our movement brings together seven member organizations and a growing coalition of partners, each contributing unique expertise while working toward our shared vision. We recognize that the barriers to health equity are deeply interconnected — economic injustice reinforces health disparities, environmental degradation impacts community wellness, and social inequities perpetuate cycles of exclusion.
Member Organizations
Seven specialized entities
Partner Coalition
Extended network
Collaborative Approach
Shared resources
Entourage Impact
Synergistic results
This understanding shapes our approach: diverse organizations working in concert, sharing resources and knowledge, creating solutions that address root causes rather than symptoms. Like elements in a thriving ecosystem, our collective impact far exceeds what any organization could achieve alone.
Add Your Voice to the Movement
True transformation happens when diverse voices unite around shared purpose. CHEM creates the common ground where organizations and individuals can coordinate their efforts, multiply their impact, and build the future our communities deserve.
When you align with our Charter, you join a movement that values both your unique contribution and our collective power. Together, we're proving that another way is possible — one where justice creates the conditions for equity, where equity enables true prosperity, and where prosperity ensures comprehensive health and wellbeing for all.
Our partners benefit from:
Access to CHEM frameworks and tools
Connection to our global network
Collaborative opportunities for impact
Shared learning and best practices
Together, We Rise
Health Equity is the assuredness of access to full health and wellbeing. Join us in creating a future where health equity is assured for all people.
Donate to CHEM
Support our mission with a financial contribution
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Stay informed about our initiatives and progress
Contact Us
Connect with us if you have an inquiry or partnership interest
  • Read the CHEM Charter

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