Ending US health inequalities needs multiple approaches, panel says

Deaths from covid-19 among black Americans are almost double those of whites, and black, brown, and indigenous people face structural racism and health inequalities, an expert panel has said.

Not only are minority Americans dying at higher rates from covid-19, they are also dying at higher rates than whites from chronic diseases. Maternal mortality rates for black women are three or four times higher than for whites.

Although black Americans make up about 13% of the population, they account for 24% of deaths from covid-19, when race is known. About half of covid-19 deaths lack racial data, however, said Laurie Zephyrin, an obstetrician-gynaecologist who is vice president of the Commonwealth Fund. Similar disparities exist for Latino and indigenous Americans, she said.

Racial data on deaths is incomplete for most states and North Dakota does not report racial data, she said. When reported, deaths among Latino and indigenous …