Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I want to take a moment and talk about health inequality and racial health disparities. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.” Did you know...❓❓ ▪️In 2019, black children had a death rate 8x that of white children. ▪️Non-Hispanic black infants have 2.3x the infant mortality rate compared to non-Hispanic whites. ▪️Black children have a 500% higher mortality rate due to asthma compared to white children ▪️A systemic review published in Nov 2021 revealed that " African American, Hispanic, and Asian American individuals were at considerably higher risk of COVID-19 positivity and ICU admission than White individuals." Racism and discrimination in healthcare is real. This can lead to delayed care, improper management, inappropriate diagnoses, and poorer outcomes. Let today be a reminder to continue to do our part to decrease disparities in healthcare.
Sources: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=15 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2785980 https://www.epa.gov/children/childrens-environmental-health-facts