All articles tagged with #racial inequities
Originally Published 2 months ago — by The Boston Globe
A study published in JAMA Health Forum reports a 27% increase in premature deaths among Americans aged 18-64 from 2012 to 2022, with significant disparities by race and location, highlighting that more people are dying before they can access Medicare at age 65.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Daily Wire
Massachusetts hospital group, Mass General Brigham, will no longer automatically file child abuse or neglect reports for babies born with drugs in their systems, citing racial and ethnic inequities and aiming to reduce stigma and improve access to substance abuse treatment. The new policy requires reasonable cause to believe that the infant is suffering or at imminent risk of suffering physical or emotional injury before filing a report to the state, and written consent outside of emergencies before conducting a drug test on newborns or mothers. This change is in response to concerns that the previous reporting requirement disproportionately affected Black individuals and led some women to stop their opioid addiction medications out of fear of losing custody of their babies.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by NPR
Research published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health reveals that pediatric care for non-white children in the U.S. is universally worse, with children of color facing disparities in pain management, diagnostic imaging, surgical procedures, and wait times for care at the ER. The inequities are not attributed to lack of insurance and are rooted in structural racism, including unequal access to healthy housing and economic opportunities, policing disparities, and unconscious bias among health care providers. Policy recommendations to counteract these disparities include addressing social safety-net program eligibility and encouraging health care providers to check their own practices for biases.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by POLITICO
New York has established a commission to study potential reparations for African American residents, following in the footsteps of California. The commission will examine the state's history of slavery and discrimination and make recommendations on statutory changes and potential payments to address generational wealth inequality. The findings will be reported in 2025, and the commission will also explore ways to address racial and structural inequities beyond financial compensation. While some have praised the move as a step towards healing historical injustices, others have criticized it as divisive and politically motivated.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Washington Post
The death of Olympian Tori Bowie, a Black woman who suffered fatal complications of pregnancy and childbirth, has highlighted the ongoing crisis of Black maternal health in the US. Black women are twice as likely to suffer serious complications during pregnancy and three times as likely to die, regardless of income or education. Bowie's story has prompted calls for action to address the systemic racism and mistreatment that Black women face in the medical establishment, as well as the need for better mental health support for pregnant women.