Climate change is not and will not impact all people equally — Latinos and other minority groups shoulder the most significant threats. Worse, cities in the U.S. are illustrating that fact today, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan. Their research shows that climate change subjects minority communities to high risks of chemical and environmental exposures. “A key finding of this report is that environmental injustice exists across Michigan, with residents of low-income and minority communities disproportionately burdened by environmental contamination and health risks—just as we saw in Flint,” Paul Mohai, a professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, told Michigan News. Latinos, who already experience harm at ...
Continuing its work to promote action for Latino health equity, Salud America! is launching a new project: The Salud Talks podcast. This production, which will go live on Wed., Sept. 4, expands on previously covered topic areas of Latino health and life — approaching each discussion with a holistic mindset. Episodes will be available every Wednesday morning on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud. "The Salud Talks podcast is yet another extension of Salud America!'s wide and impactful reach," said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! "The podcast will give listeners insight into many of the health disparities impacting Latinos and all Americans. Furthermore, it will raise awareness of emerging solutions to those disparities."
What to Expect
The podcast's first ...
As of 2017, the U.S. is home to roughly 44 million immigrants – the largest number of immigrants in the world, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The majority of immigrants are Latino. They relocate from Mexico as well as other countries such as El Salvador, Cuba, Dominican Republic, India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. To protect immigrant health—as well as the general public wellness—scientists from the Society of Behavioral Health (SBM) recommend that congress impose strict restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intervention in or around medical facilities. "Protecting the health of immigrants promotes health equity and is an important investment in protecting the health of the American public including schools, families, communities, ...
The Trump Administration has announced its final decision regarding the public charge rule, which is set to take effect Oct. 15, 2019. This new regulation changes the policies used to decide whether the officials can deny an individual's citizenship application or modifications to their citizenship status if they are determined likely to become a public charge, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The changes could considerably reduce the number of legal immigrants permitted to enter and stay in the U.S. — by making it easier to reject green card and visa applications. The new rule is bad news for public health, according to Mark Del Monte, CEO and Interim Executive Vice President of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "[We] strongly opposes the final rule issued ...
Researchers now say Latinos and blacks experiencing a stroke are less likely to receive life-saving treatments than their white counterparts. These procedures are proven to reduce fatalities and improve patients' quality of life. Still, the systemic racism found in many healthcare systems prevents minority communities from receiving this procedure, according to new research in the American Heart Association's (AHA) Stroke. "As disparities in stroke care, in general, have been repeatedly and consistently demonstrated, I would say the results were not surprising, though they remain frustrating and concerning," the study's lead author, Dr. Lorenzo Rinaldo—a neurosurgeon at the Mayo Clinic—said in a press release.
About the Implicit Bias Study
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic ...
Last week's horrific mass shooting that targeted Latinos in an El Paso Walmart has shaken the nation. In spite of the hatred that motivated the shooting, 11-year-old Ruben Martinez in El Paso started a campaign on social media to help his community heal: The El Paso Challenge. Ruben suggested that kindness could be spread by doing 20 good deeds in honor of the victims of the shooting (the death toll later rose to 23). It all started when Ruben told his mom, Rose Gandarilla, he was afraid to go to the store. "He was having some trouble dealing with what happened," Rose Gandarilla, Ruben's mother, told CNN. "I explained to him that we could not live in fear and that people in our community are caring and loving. I told him to try and think of something he could do to make El ...
Most understand that systemic racism in the healthcare industry has been a problem for a long time — it continues today. Recent research has shown that Latino and black children are more likely to die of childhood cancers than their white counterparts. Still, some medical organizations realize this gap, which has led to some progress . The American Academy of Pediatricians initiated a call to action in its recent policy statement earlier this week, which aims to reduce the impact of racism and improve health equity for all children. “While progress has been made toward racial equality, the impact of racism on communities of color is wide-reaching, systemic and complex,” Dr. Maria Trent, lead author of the policy statement, said in a press release. The document brings ...
The City of San Francisco (15.1% Latino) unanimously approved legislation to create an Office of Racial Equity on Tuesday. The position will oversee a citywide race-equality plan, according to city officials as reported by NBC Bay Area. "This legislation will hold us accountable to moving the needle for racial equity in our city and addressing the disparities facing communities of color with regards to economic stability, housing, health outcomes or policing," said City Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer, who proposed the legislation along with Supervisor Vallie Brown. "It is long past due that San Francisco makes real our commitment to racial equity, and this Office of Racial Equity will make sure that everyone in San Francisco has equitable opportunity to survive."
Racial Equity ...
Latinas and black women may face increased risks of developing triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), according to a study published in Cancer. These forms are often aggressive and do not respond to hormone therapy or targeted therapy. These latest findings solidify known cancer development disparities, which continue to grow amongst Latinos, other racial/ethnic minority groups, and young women.
Breast Cancer Inequities Dr. Lia Scott, of the Georgia State University School of Public Health, and her team studied all available diagnosed breast cancer cases from 2010 to 2014 using the U.S. Cancer Statistics database. It consists of a population-based surveillance system of cancer registries with numbers representing 99% of the U.S. population. "With the advent and ...
