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John,
Black and Brown people who get infected with COVID-19 are more likely to experience severe illness or death due to higher rates of pre-existing conditions and lack of access to health care. But, while COVID-19 has highlighted disparities in our health care system, racism has been a public health crisis since long before the pandemic began.
Did you see the email from Deborah below, detailing how passing the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act will take meaningful steps to end racism in our public health care system? Sign the petition to demand Congress act!
Structural racism has plagued the United States since its inception. Together we must fight to end racism which leads to worse health outcomes for Black and Brown communities.
Thank you for all that do to keep Congress focused on fighting for our shared priorities of human needs.
Nicolai Haddal
Field & Events Manager, Coalition on Human Needs
--DEBORAH'S EMAIL--
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Tell Congress:
"Racism is a public health crisis. For centuries, structural racism in the United States has harmed Black and Brown communities and served as a major barrier to health equity. Racism leads to worse health outcomes for Black and Brown patients than their white counterparts. Congress must address this issue immediately by passing the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act."
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John,
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted vast disparities in our health care system.
Death rates due to COVID-19 are the highest among Black and Indigenous people, followed by Pacific Islanders and Latinx people. Here’s what we need to do:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must formally declare racism as a public health crisis. And we need Congress to act swiftly to pass critical legislation introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Barbara Lee, which is designed to implement anti-racist health care policy.
Join CHN and our national coalition to demand Congress pass the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act and address racism in our health care system.
People of color have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease than other groups, and Black children have a 500% higher death rate from asthma compared with white children. Black women are nearly four times as likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women, and Black people are six times as likely to be killed by police.
This much needed legislation would expand research and investment into the public health impacts of structural racism, as well as to require the federal government to begin actively developing anti-racist health policy. This bill would also create a "National Center for Anti-Racism" at the CDC to both declare racism as the public health crisis that it is and further develop the research base and knowledge in the science and practice of anti-racism.
The health of people of color has been devastated by widespread racism in our health care system for generations. We need to immediately address the unacceptable racist disparities in health care.
End systemic racism in our health care system. Demand Congress pass the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act. Sign if you agree!
Thank you for all you do to demand accountability from our political leaders and to fight for the needs of the vulnerable, the sick and the poor.
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
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