The United States is home to sobering and persistent racial disparities in health coverage, chronic health conditions, mental health, and mortality. These disparities are not a result of individual or group behavior but decades of systematic inequality in American economic, housing, and health care systems. Here are a few eye-opening statistics:
African Americans have the highest mortality rate for all cancers combined compared with any other racial and ethnic group.
• There are 11 infant deaths per 1,000 live births among Black Americans. This is almost twice the national average of 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
African Americans have the highest mortality rate for all cancers combined compared with any other racial and ethnic group.
Organizations like the Center for Black Women’s Wellness work to provide resources to people of color to combat these healthcare disparities and make long lasting impact in the community. The CBWW was founded 30 years ago to address inequity in healthcare access for African American Women. Today, services are provided to to anyone in the community and the CBWW services the 20 county metro atlanta area, majority come from Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Dekalb. Their programs include a focus on physical/mental health which include a wellness clinic, safety net clinic for chronic medical conditions (providing free medical care for patients >200% below poverty line), healthy start - a program to reduce blank infant mortality by supporting new mothers. They are also working to address systemic change with several initiatives to address legislative change. They also have a program to provide economic support to help micro entrepreneurs launch and own their own businesses.
Their 2021 initiatives include doubling their capacity and funds from this event will help them meet their goal to expand their clinic and continue to provide outstanding care to over 500 clients.
The Center for Black Women's Wellness, Inc. (CBWW) is a premier, community-based, family service center committed to improving the health and well-being of underserved Black women and their families. CBWW recognizes that empowering black women leads to the empowerment of the family and, eventually, the empowerment of the community. That is why CBWW is the ONE place that caters to the physical, mental and economic needs of Atlanta's black women through comprehensive services. All that we do is guided by the intent to create a community where...
*Women are whole, healed and well.
*Babies are born healthy and thrive in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment.
*Teens are nurtured and provided opportunities to learn, develop like skills and grow to their fullest potential.
*Women are empowered to channel their creative talents and skills to create their own economic opportunities to improve the quality of their lives.
Citation: Carratala, S. (2021). Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity - Center for American Progress. Retrieved 9 February 2021, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2020/05/07/484742/health-disparities-race-ethnicity/
