Racial disparities in healthcare
A set of resources to support racial equality in medicine: Friday, June 5th.
Good morning. In light of the recent protests for racial justice, we have dedicated today’s newsletter to a set of resources that help publicize and address racial inequality within medicine.
The health of African Americans in the U.S. lags significantly behind most other racial groups, and can be illustrated by a number of metrics: the average lifespan for African Americans is six years less than that of white Americans; black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women despite contracting it at a 3% lower rate; black infants are 250% more likely to die before their first birthday than white infants.
Most immediately, black Americans are dying from Covid-19 at close to 3 times the rate of white Americans. The inequality in outcomes driven by a colorblind virus is a reminder that racial disparities have real, large-scale impacts on health.
Please consider donating some of your time and/or money to the organizations below.
Source: Black Women’s Health Imperative.
Where to donate
Black Women’s Health Imperative
The inequalities in our country are far-reaching and the healthcare system is not immune. Join Black Women’s Health Imperative in the fight as we do our part to ensure that women receive fair, balanced, and comprehensive care. Your donation goes toward the emotional, physical and financial health of black women across the nation through programming and the shaping of policy.
African Americans are being diagnosed at a disproportionately higher rate than other groups and are dying from coronavirus at a higher rate than other groups. To address that need, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium was born. We have built a mobile COVID-19 testing operation. Our goal with the mobile unit is to provide a testing alternative that is BARRIER FREE to test for coronavirus disease in our hardest-hit areas in Philadelphia. Our mission is to provide COVID-19 testing, advocacy and educate African-Americans on coronavirus disease.
We offer training in Urban Emergency First Response primarily to people who live in, or love people who live in communities where shootings often occur.
Southside Harm Reduction Services
Based in South Minneapolis, Southside Harm Reduction Services works within a harm reduction framework to promote the human rights to health, safety, autonomy, and agency among people who use substances.
Source: Amazon.com.
Where to learn
Join Jefferson Health CEO Dr. Stephen Klasko and Dr. Ala Stanford, founder of Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium, on Wednesday, June 10th from 6 – 7 PM for a virtual town hall on the impact of the pandemic on black communities.
Read or watch The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the true story of a black tobacco farmer whose fate illustrates ethical issues of race and class in medical research.
Research the role of race in healthcare through the American Medical Association’s collection of white papers and reports.
Listen to a discussion with Sherman James, a professor emeritus at Duke University who has been studying the impact of racism on public health for decades.
Did we miss a cause or resource that is meaningful to you? Let us know in the comments.