Infographics
Black Americans & Health Equity
Published on: June 23, 2021. Updated on: August 17, 2021.
About this Data Insights
Black Americans have faced an increased risk of being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19 compared to White Americans. This disproportionate burden placed a spotlight on the ongoing impact of systemic racism and long-standing inequities on the health of Black Americans. Multiple forms of economic discrimination mean that Black Americans are more likely to be overrepresented in frontline worker jobs or face unemployment while being less likely to benefit from the Paycheck Protection Program. In terms of health and health care, Black Americans have higher rates of pre-existing conditions and are more likely to face discrimination when seeking health care. This infographic highlights many of these factors and opportunities for advancing health equity.
COVID-19 Hospitalization & Death Rate Ratios: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Risk for COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death By Race/Ethnicity, updated May 26, 2021
Unemployment rate: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “The Employment Situation — January 2021,” Press release, February 5, 2021
Over-Representation in Frontline and Essential Worker Roles: Associated Press
Federal Paycheck Protection Program: Laura C. Morel, Mohamed Al Elew, Emily Harris, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, “Businesses in majority-white communities received PPP loans at higher rates, analysis shows,” Los Angeles Times & Reveal
Hypersegregated Housing: COVID-19 in context: Racism, Segregation, and Racial Inequities in Philadelphia, Drexel University, Urban Health Collaborative
Air pollution & redlining:
Wu, X., Nethery, R. C., Sabath, M. B., Braun, D. and Dominici, F., 2020. Air pollution and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: Strengths and limitations of an ecological regression analysis. Science advances, 6(45), p.eabd4049
Brad Plumer, Nadja Popovich, “How Decades of Racist Housing Policy Left Neighborhoods Sweltering,” The New York Times, August 24, 2020
Pre-existing conditions: CDC, analysis and infographic on risk factors
Barriers to early vaccine access:
“The Wealthy Are Getting More Vaccinations, Even in Poorer Neighborhoods,” The New York Times
“Older Adults Without Family or Friends Lag in Race to Get Vaccines,” Kaiser Health News
Discriminated against by health care provider: Urban Insitute, Perceptions of Discrimination and Unfair Judgment While Seeking Health Care
Solutions for Health Equity:
Education and anti-racism training in academia and medical school: “Combating Bias in Medicine, Insights from HMS course offer model to counter inequitable care,” Harvard Medical School
Address racial biases in algorithms and other tools: Obermeyer Z, Powers B, Vogeli C and Mullainathan S. “Dissecting Racial Bias in an Algorithm Used to Manage the Health of Populations.” Science, 36(6464):447-53, October 25, 2019
Incorporate incentives for improving health outcomes: Chin MH. Creating the Business Case for Achieving Health Equity. J Gen Intern Med. 2016;31(7):792-796. doi:10.1007/s11606-016-3604-7
Consider accountability standards for unmet metrics: A Practitioner's Guide for Advancing Health Equity - Community Strategies for Preventing Chronic Disease, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Invest in community health workers and centers: Presentation by Denise Octavia Smith, Founding Executive Director of the National Association of Community Health Workers, during NIHCM webinar, Community Health Workers & Pharmacists: Their Frontline Role in the Response to COVID-19
Build and maintain trust by working within the community: Mother Jones, There’s Never Been a More Urgent Moment to Build Black Americans’ Trust in the Medical System, May 8, 2020
Address social determinants of health, including food and housing security: Kaiser Family Foundation, Beyond Health Care: The Role of Social Determinants in Promoting Health and Health Equity, May 10, 2018
Address equitable access to clean air, water and land: Aspen Institute, Driving Equitable Access to Water and Public Lands
Establish initiatives & policies that prioritize equitable access to resources: Promoting Health Equity, A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Build capacity for equitable public health emergency preparedness: American Medical Association, 4 ways to integrate equity into public health emergency response
Increase broadband access: Brookings Institute, Digital prosperity: How broadband can deliver health and equity to all communities
Improve transportation options to increase accessibility: US Department of Transportation, Health and Equity
Infographics
Published on: June 22, 2021.
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