National Center for Health Equity
We’re addressing the realities of an unfolding health crisis of racial and ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable populations.
The Realities of an Unfolding Health Crisis
People across America, in poor and disadvantaged communities, are suffering from a lack of quality healthcare.
What We Are Addressing
- Poverty: This can contribute to health disparities and inequities.
- Limited access to healthcare: Racial and ethnic inequities in insurance coverage can affect access to healthcare services.
- Lack of education: This can contribute to health disparities.
- Other factors: These include socioeconomic status, immigration status, language, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks.
Type 2 Diabetes
Incidence of type 2 diabetes significantly increased for all racial and ethnic groups, especially Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents. Non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents had the highest incidence of type 2 diabetes across all years. According to the CDC, non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents have the highest incidence of type 2 diabetes across all years. The incidence of type 2 diabetes has also increased significantly for all racial and ethnic groups, especially Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanics.
Respiratory Disease
Minorities in the United States are disproportionately affected by respiratory diseases, including asthma, lung cancer, and sarcoidosis. These disparities are due to a combination of social, economic, behavioral, and biological factors, as well as differences in risk factors for respiratory diseases across demographic groups. According to the U.S. Office of Minority Health non-Hispanic African Americans were 30 percent more likely to have asthma than non-Hispanic whites, in 2019. In 2020, non-Hispanic blacks were almost three times more likely to die from asthma related causes than the non-Hispanic white population.
Cardiovascular Disease
The leading cause of death in America, some groups are more likely than others to be affected. Blacks suffer the worst at 22.6%, followed by Asian (18.6%) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (18.3%)
HIV/AIDS
While of course HIV affects all races and ethnicities in the United States, some groups are disproportionately affected compared to their population size. Black/African American people and Hispanic/Latino people are particularly affected by HIV, making up more than half (69%) of estimated HIV infections in 2021. Get the latest data on HIV by race and ethnicity.
Obesity Epidemic
According to the Food Research and Action Center obesity rates are higher for Black and Hispanic women, for Hispanic men, in the South and Midwest, in nonmetropolitan counties, and tend to increase with age
Our Programs
Dedicated to Improving Health Equity
Chronic Care Management for Medicare Beneficiaries
Offering localized care coordination services for clinics serving at risk Medicare beneficiaries.
Social Determinants of Health/Care Coordination for Community
Solutions for the vulnerable, at-risk communities in the inner city to socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Lifestyle Lifespan
Empowering communities to maintain health, prevent disease, and improve well-being within the communities we live in and are a part of.
Why did we start the National Center for Health Equity?
While the majority of Bronx residents come from racial and ethnic minority groups—communities of color—this population scores dead last in all New York City health indicators.
From high rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity to heart disease, asthma, HIV/AIDS and even infant mortality, the people of the Bronx are suffering. But this health crisis expands across America in poor and disadvantaged communities. From poor inner-city enclaves to downtrodden, rapidly diversifying suburbs to impoverished rural areas, one’s health level correlates with a number of social and economic factors such as income and economic status, education level, and more.
Our Partners
National Center for Health Equity collaborates strategically with targeted partnerships from technology to health sector to social services to improve our community’s access to healthcare with the aim of achieving health equity.
Our partners share in our mission and vision to elevate the proactive quality of care all the while working tirelessly to ensure that the most vulnerable patients never fall through the cracks as they navigate health, social services and community supports.
