By Monica Baskin
COVID-19 has brought newfound attention to an enduring problem in Alabama and the U.S. – the deadly consequences of racial disparities in health care.
Recent UAB research found that Black individuals experience COVID-19 infections at three times the rate of whites, with twice the rate of death. This disproportionate impact is true across the U.S. and is related to systemic racism that creates barriers to health care and contributes to higher rates of chronic disease.
These structural issues may be more evident because of COVID-19. But they are all too familiar in Alabama.
Our state ranks near the bottom in terms of overall health, measured by life expectancy and quality of life. But our African-American population suffers more than its share of the problem. Broadly speaking, Black Alabamians tends to live in poorer communities with less access to care, which plays out in every aspect of their health. For instance, the mortality rate for Black infants was, until