April is National Minority Health Month and a time to raise awareness about the health disparities that affect people from racial and ethnic minority groups throughout our country and how we can improve their health.
The social
determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people are born,
grow, work, live and age and the forces and systems around them that shape
their daily lives. These include economics, political systems and social norms
and policies. The lower the socioeconomic position of the person, the higher the
risk of poor health. This disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities.
They experience higher rates of chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes,
heart disease, hypertension, obesity and asthma when compared to whites. Chronic
conditions and the impact of these conditions can be more severe due to other
health inequities that people experience, such as lack of insurance coverage, lack
of access to healthcare and economic limitations. Systematic inequality exists
with housing, health care, and the social and economic status within the racial
and ethnic minority populations. Add in that a member of a racial and ethnic
minority group may also be a member of the LGBTQ+ community and have food
insecurity puts them at an even higher risk for adverse health outcomes that could
affect their health and well-being.
One way to improve health outcomes for
racial and ethnic minorities involves providing culturally and linguistically
appropriate services to help empower them. The use of community health workers
(CHW) can do that.
CHWs:
- Are
members of the community who serve as advocates and liaisons to connect
individuals and families to health care and social services
- Have
a strong connection to the community they serve
- May
share the same ethnicity, race, language, social-economic characteristics,
cultural, spiritual beliefs and life experiences as found in the community
- Work
in urban or rural environments and with low-income, minority, immigrant and
underserved communities
- Have
diverse job descriptions as well as job titles depending on the organization in
which they work
- Can
help address the gaps in our health care system by working with clients in
their communities to connect them to healthcare and eliminate barriers for the
clients
- Can
reduce health disparities in the communities they serve
- Build
a healthier community through prevention strategies and health promotion
We have a
multicultural society in America, and it is critical that there is equal access
to healthcare. There must be a strong effort to overcome the economic and
social obstacles and leave politics out of it. A healthier America is good for
everyone. Let’s build it through education and taking real steps and real
actions toward progress.
