Holistic Health
Racism affects health
Discriminatory practices and inequities in healthcare should be addressed
Racist ideas and practices can have a detrimental impact on the health of those who suffer from them , leading several experts to consider racism as a public health threat .
Racism , xenophobia , and discrimination contribute to avoidable diseases and premature death among groups that are already disadvantaged , according to a global report published in The Lancet last year , but the role played by these detrimental factors has been overlooked by policymakers .
�Until racism and xenophobia are universally recognised as significant drivers of determinants of health , the root causes of discrimination will remain in the shadows and continue to cause and exacerbate health inequities , � said lead author Delan Devakumar , professor at the Institute for Global Health of University College London , according to the Guardian .
Discrimination can harm health by affecting the body through stress responses , influencing living environments , and reducing opportunities to stay healthy .
For instance , minorities are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazard like air pollution , the authors wrote , while Bangladeshi people were almost five times more likely to die from COVID than white British people . Similarly , the Guardian has exposed the fact that black and Asian people in England have to wait longer for a cancer diagnosis than their white peers .
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) also declared racism a �serious public health threat� back in 2021 while making efforts to address the problem .
�Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin or their race or ethnicity , but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives , where they work , where their children play , and where they worship and gather in community . These social determinants of health have life-long negative effects on the mental and physical health of individuals in communities of color , � said CDC Director Rochelle P . Walensky in a statement put out in 2021 .
In order to address the impact of racism on public
health , the CDC spearheaded several initiatives like studying the social determinants on health outcomes and find solutions , making more investments in racial and ethnic minority communities that can reduce health disparities , and launching a web portal called Racism and Health to promote public and scientific discourse around racism and health .
The World Health Organization report highlights that indigenous peoples , those of African descent , and Roma are at greater risk of stigma and racial discrimination , leading to health inequities . Despite the pervasiveness of these inequities , however , data about them are sparse and often available in high-income countries .
The report recommends that health sector leaders call out racist and discriminatory practices to shed light on their negative impacts on health and well-being . It also says that strengthening primary healthcare ( PHC ) is key to tackling racial discrimination and health inequities .
�As a priority , policy-makers can ensure equityoriented budgeting approaches for PHC and health systems strengthening , so that more disadvantaged areas with greater health needs will receive adequate resources , � according to the report .
“ Until racism and xenophobia are universally recognised as significant drivers of determinants of health , the root causes of discrimination will remain in the shadows and continue to cause and exacerbate health inequities .”
14 ISSUE 3 | 2023 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com