Celebrating Black History Month: A Commitment Towards Health Equity and Reducing Disparities

A Focus on Health Equity During Black History Month As we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth, it is essential to acknowledge the significant role of public health professionals in reducing health disparities and incorporating health equity principles into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) core strategies. This commitment towards health equity contributes to creating a more inclusive and accessible healthcare system for everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or geographical location. #HealthEquity #PublicHealth Measuring Health Disparities Understanding and addressing health disparities require robust and accurate measurements. According to the CDC, disparities can be identified among different racial or ethnic groups, geographic regions, gender identities, and socioeconomic statuses. The CDC emphasizes that there is no gold standard measure for health disparities, but changes in measures over time can indicate progress or setbacks in eliminating these disparities. The use of both pairwise measures and composite measures can offer valuable insights into the health status of different population groups. (source) Racism’s Impact on Healthcare and Chronic Disease Prevention The CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) journal addresses the impact of racism on healthcare and emphasizes the importance of medical education in combating systemic discrimination. The PCD also highlights the use of GIS mapping...