Episcopal Health Foundation: Recognizing and Tackling Health Disparities
EHF’s new strategic framework targets three priorities: food/nutrition security, maternal health, and diabetes prevention. Why? Because we believe that addressing these critical conditions and issues will lead to a ripple effect of good health for all communities.
As we step into the beginning of Black History Month, it’s crucial to reflect on how the intersection of racial history and health equity affects Black communities. Take a look at diabetes where there are stark disparities in health outcomes: Black adults are 60% more likely to be diagnosed than White adults. Many times, these health inequities stem from non-medical drivers of health – factors outside the doctor’s office that impact a person’s overall health and well-being such as limited access to affordable nutritious food, lack of sidewalks or safe environments for exercise, chronic stress, and more. In many neighborhoods across Texas, these negative non-medical factors disproportionately affect under-resourced Black families.