种族主义对公共卫生的威胁

这是2020年的秘密是美国的动荡时期，因为我们同时考虑了Covid-19大流行和世纪的全身种族主义的旧目的。战斗的一个结果是政策制定者和居民的越来越多的认可，因为培育歧视的系统与培养慢性健康状况的系统之间存在重叠。为此，城市和全国越来越多地制定正式声明，即承认种族主义本身是公共卫生危机。在联邦一级，一群国会代表和参议员最近在2020年的公共卫生法案中引入了反种族主义，旨在提高结构种族主义的公共卫生影响的研究和投资，并迫使联邦政府发展反种族主义健康政策。

“For far too long, our federal government has failed to recognize and address the structural racism that has devastated Black and Brown communities and denied access to quality health care,” Congressional Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) said in astatement。“With the COVID-19 pandemic unveiling and exacerbating racial disparities in health outcomes, it is time we recognize and treat structural racism and police brutality as the public health crises that they are. We must have a coordinated public health response to structural racism, and this bill would do just that.”

We sat down with Regina Davis Moss, associate executive director of public health policy and practice at the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C., to get a fuller picture of this phenomenon.

Kenrya Rankin: Why is racism a public health crisis?

Regina Davis Moss：种族主义对健康的影响已被证明并在1985年概述Heckler报告，这提供了婴儿死亡率，癌症，抚摸和其他健康结果的不等式证据。无论是通过武力，剥夺或歧视，种族主义严重影响了健康。

当公共卫生谈论种族主义和健康的交叉口时，最重要的是人际种族主义，这是个人之间的公正偏见或偏见的行为。但是，我们正在谈论历史悠久的和持续的制度力量，决定获得健康资源和机会的机会。这是推动健康差异，并为生活的障碍创造了我们最健康的生命。

We should all absolutely be physically active most days of the week and eat a diet rich in grains, fruits, and vegetables. But it becomes harder to prioritize this when you don’t feel safe in your neighborhood or aren’t paid a living wage and can’t afford to buy healthy food to eat. Also, racism goes beyond socioeconomic status. Black women in the U.S. are almostalmost four times more likely to die从怀孕相关的原因比白人女性。在有大学学位的黑人女性中看到这种不公平。

简而言之，公共卫生威胁或流行病的定义是一种外部药剂，导致疾病，伤害或其他差的健康状况，在特定期间在特定群体中发生超过预期。种族主义是一个外部代理人。

kr：我们在谈论种族主义和对其产生负面影响的人时，我们谈论什么慢性条件？

RDM：Numerous studies have found racism to be associated with unhealthy changes to key biologic systems (e.g. metabolic, immune systems, cardiovascular, etc.), which take their toll on the bodies of people of communities of color over time. Repeated exposure to racial prejudice and discrimination results in adverse mental and physical health effects such as chronic stress,高血压那betway168 那cancer那diabetesand哮喘。

KR: I know that the American Public Health Association keeps a跑步宣布种族主义的国家和市政公共卫生危机或紧急情况。为什么你认为这么多的市政当局正在解决这个问题now？

RDM：有超过100机构,国家,城市nd municipalities that have formally and informally declared racism a public health threat or crisis and the list is growing. Racism is a driving force of social determinants of health (e.g. housing, education and employment) and is the root cause of the different outcomes we see in people of color. Acknowledging it as a threat, emergency, or crisis stresses the urgency in addressing these outcomes with a rapid response. It can also be a statement about the state’s or municipality’s commitment to create a more equitable community. Declaring racism a public health concern also offers legislators, health officials and others a way to analyze data and discuss how to dismantle problematic institutions. The acknowledgment can also serve as a basis for allocation or reallocation of resources that support anti-racism and racial equity efforts.

KR: What is the significance—and usefulness—of these types of declarations?

RDM：While these statements are significant, what will ultimately distinguish these declarations as either effective or purely symbolic will depend on whether they are followed with increased funding and concrete actions.

KR: What needs to happen next? How do we move beyond declarations to action?

RDM：我们需要公共投资将使所有圣ate residents to realize their full potential. That includes increasing K-12 education budgets so students attending schools in under-resourced communities have the best chance at educational success; providing economic resources and support so struggling families have secure income, housing and heathy food; ensuring access to quality, patient-centered health care and early childhood programs to buffer children from being adversely affected; affordable college for all who want to pursue higher learning, and efforts to generate a more robust workforce. These kind of investments help create opportunities for people who are situated differently across structures of society, particularly communities of color.

KR：如你所知，代表Ayanna Pressley.introduced theAnti-Racism in Public Health Actearlier this fall. What are your thoughts around how this federal legislation might move the needle?

RDM：The Anti-Racism in Public Health Act is a bill that would formally identify systemic racism as a public health crisis in the United States. It would also establish a Center on Anti-Racism in Health within the CDC and create programs within the Center for Injury Prevention and Control focused on preventing violence by law enforcement.

我希望它将移动针，但我们不必等待开始发展反种族主义健康政策。当我们在所有政策中使用健康和股权等方法时，我们已经完成了一些工作。最重要的是，联邦政府应该保护公共卫生领导力，因此我们可以在没有威胁或推动的情况下保护国家，保护国家。

KR：这个区域的成功是什么样的？

RDM：Success is acknowledging that racism exists and that there is a connection to health, holding those who commit racist crimes and acts accountable, and carrying out sustained action across a variety of sectors, programs and policies.

找到莫斯博士ReginaDavisMoss.comand@Dr4Equityon Twitter.