Penn community reacts to racial disparities report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first annual health disparities report two weeks ago, outlining differences in health conditions among various racial and ethnic groups.

Penn faculty and students were not surprised by the report’s conclusions, though many were optimistic about the health reform’s effects on racial disparities.

The report stated a number of health disparities across races and ethnic groups such as the fact that blacks die of heart disease more often and at a younger age than whites, despite availability of cheap prevention measures like exercise and blood-pressure and cholesterol drugs.

“There are many educational efforts implemented throughout the U.S. to help cancer patients become aware of their condition,” Psychiatry professor Chanita Hughes-Halbert said. “But they might not be reaching all segments of the population, especially low income and low education environments.”

Another conclusion of the report was that the infant mortality rate among black newborns is almost three times higher than that of any other race.

As Co-Principal Investigator of Penn’s Center for Population Health and Health Disparities, Hughes-Halbert conducted research on West Philadelphia cancer patients and was surprised to find that black residents simply wanted more information to better understand the needs of their condition.

“This report underscores the need for equal access to care through health insurance coverage,” Hughes-Halbert said.

Differences in basic information about a disease and proper treatment could affect a patient’s survival, she added.

Students agreed that health insurance coverage would be an important factor in addressing the issue of health disparities in the United States.

“[The report] does not surprise me because health problems are related to poor eating habits, which are a result of poverty and a lack of education. It is no wonder that health disparities can be traced along racial lines, since certain minority groups are less socially mobile than their white counterparts,” College freshman Jason Tian said. “The new health reform would narrow the health disparity, but only in the sense that poverty would be a smaller factor in health deterioration.”

But others were doubtful.

“The health care reform law contains funding for addressing health disparities, but the new GOP Congress has promised to de-fund large portions of the legislation,” College sophomore Ajay Koti said. He added, “Our society is so crippled by racial tension and inequality, and unfortunately, health is one of the symptoms of that.”

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