Racism has been labeled a “serious public health threat” by the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency’s head, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said in a statement on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic had impacted populations of color “more severely” in terms of cases, fatalities, and social consequences, but that the virus was not to blame.
She said, “Instead, the pandemic illuminated inequities that have existed for generations and revealed for all of America a known, but often unaddressed, epidemic impacting public health: racism.” She continued, “What we know is this: racism is a serious public health threat that directly affects the well-being of millions of Americans. As a result, it affects the health of our entire nation.”
She added: “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.”
She stated that the CDC would investigate the connection between social factors and health, and that coronavirus funds would be used to help “racial and ethnic minority communities and other disproportionately affected communities around the country.” She also mentioned that the organization was attempting to become more inclusive and diverse.
Last year, the American Medical Association declared racism to be a public health threat.
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