Environmental Factors and Health Disparities: The Case of Rural-Urban Inequality

The environment is identified as the third factor contributing to health disparities between urban and rural areas. The implementation of increasingly strict environmental protection regulations in urban areas has led to the relocation of manufacturing facilities that produce toxic materials to rural areas (Du and Ruike, 2012). This relocation has resulted in a significantly degraded living environment in rural areas compared to urban areas. In the long term, addressing the health inequality between urban and rural regions contributes to upholding principles of fairness and justice.