Big Cities Need Bold and Specific Plans to End Health Inequities

According to a study from the Sinai Urban Health Institute and the AMA that was published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, researchers noted that local health departments are well situated to lead plans to end health inequities but not many are doing so. They examined formal plan documents and strategies from local health departments with jurisdictions covering the 30 most populous U.S. cities.

The plans were evaluated for their focus on health equity and inclusion of specific and measurable equity goals, and an assessment regarding their formal declarations of racism as a public health crisis, organizational structure, and data collection and dissemination practices. The study’s authors noted that it was “disturbing” that seven cities had not declared that racism was a public health threat. Learn more from AMA here.