It seems to be almost universally acknowledged that health disparities have been unveiled and exacerbated during this pandemic, and that the health disparities are the result of generations of disparities in economic opportunity, housing, education, and criminal justice, to name a few. "Systemic disparities" needs to be seen for what it is: a euphemism for widespread racism. This is the generating concept behind a discussion that is currently on-going at
Health Affairs, the leading health policy journal in the U.S.:
COVID-19 has affected an estimated 10.7 million people, resulting in an estimated half a million deaths globally, including more than 128,000 deaths in the US. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, stark disparities in infection and mortality risk along racial lines have emerged.
Understanding and addressing racial disparities in COVID-19 requires attention to the root causes of health disparities—and, in particular, to the health impacts of racism. Racism, be it overt, structural, or environmental, is an undeniable part of the United States’ history and present.
Writing on Health Affairs Blog, researchers and providers explore the intersections of racism, health disparities, and COVID-19.
Dismantling health care inequities will require addressing the structural racism at the root of both COVID-19 disparities and the murders of George Floyd and other Black Americans, Alexander Bryan and coauthors write.
Sandra Soo-Jin Lee and coauthors say the COVID-19 recovery phase presents “a rare and critical opportunity” to pursue audacious policies that dismantle structural inequities and address structural racism, including redirecting state spending on prisons to public health.
Despite racism’s alarming impacts on health and health care, preeminent scholars and the journals that publish them, including Health Affairs, routinely fail to interrogate racism as a critical driver of racial health inequities, Rhea Boyd and coauthors write.
Drawing lessons from Critical Race Theory, Michelle Morse and colleagues argue that the COVID-19 crisis offers a unique opportunity to mobilize US physicians to advocate for progressive social policies that dismantle structural racism and structure our society more equitably.
Acknowledging the urgency of both health and racial justice in this moment, Sheila Foster and coauthors set forth a legal agenda to fight the health effects of racism in housing, policing, the environment, and other areas.
As Health Affairs Editor-In-Chief Alan Weil wrote recently, the legacy of racism “is baked into our institutions, our thinking, and our policies.” Racism must be explored as a key driver of health outcomes and health disparities.
Follow the conversation on Twitter @Health_Affairs.
