Black Children and Healthcare Disparities (Video 2:48)

Healthcare disparities are inequalities that exist when members of certain populations do not benefit from the same healthcare as other groups. Healthcare disparities victimize adults and children. Unfortunately, for many Black people, disparities are cradle-to-grave tragedies beginning at birth. Disparities include not only the high percentages in disease rankings such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, but also procedures such as pain treatment.  A disturbing study of America’s emergency rooms reveals that Black children receive substantially less pain control for appendicitis.

In America, Black healthcare disparities are a sickness in the healthcare system, a systemic overt-covert racism or stereotypical racial perceptions of pain that is not being addressed effectively. This is not only a healthcare issue, but a moral one. While some may see this only as a Black issue, it isn’t. Healthcare disparities impact not only individuals victimized by them, but also their families, their communities, and the nation. With generational suffering and repercussions on many levels, illnesses create long-term economic burdens and major losses of productivity.

The following video addresses a study of America’s emergency room disparities revealing that Black children receive substantially less pain control for appendicitis than non-Black children.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers. Visit my website at www.francesshaniparker.com.