London, Oct 1 (PTI) Structural racism affects the health and wellbeing of ethnic minority communities in London and contributes to avoidable and unfair inequalities between ethnic groups, according to a new expert review into public health published on Tuesday.
‘Structural Racism, Ethnicity and Health Inequalities in London’, published by the University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Health Equity (IHE), highlights how people who are repeatedly exposed to racism during their daily lives or when using essential services experience worse physical and mental health.
The report found the impacts of racism remain “starkly evident”, manifesting in ethnic inequalities in poverty, housing, employment, pay and career progression.
“Racism is a scar on society. Social justice requires that we take the action necessary to deal with it,” said Professor Sir Michael Marmot, UCL IHE Director and co-chair of the review’s advisory board.
“It is a profound injustice if the conditions for good health are unequally distributed, depending on ethnicity. Especially so, where that unequal distribution results from the evils of racism. Inequalities in the social determinants of health are storing up health problems for the future,” he said.
The key findings from the review highlight that nearly 70 per cent of Bangladeshi and Pakistani and 52 per cent of black children are growing up in “relative poverty” in London, compared to 26 per cent of children in white households. Children who grow up in poverty are less likely to live in decent housing, be able to eat nutritious food, or have places to play or sleep. As a result, their educational attainment and prospects throughout life, such as income and employment, are “negatively affected”, the review notes.
The IHE is calling for greater accountability, particularly from leaders, institutions and employers to prevent racism from continuing unchecked and to improve the lives of people who experience it. The review’s approach and recommendations are also relevant to other places across the UK and globally.
Professor Habib Naqvi, co-chair of the advisory board and Chief Executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: “We know that racism is a challenge that transcends boundaries and borders, and whilst this report is for London, we hope it will have wider impact across the UK.
“Racism has deep historical roots; it is pervasive, and it is embedded in the structure of our society. We find ourselves at a pertinent time in history; now is the time to wake up to the scale of inequality and remove the scourge of racism from our society and improve health for all.” IHE researchers also highlight the known and marked inequalities among ethnic groups in maternal and child health and mental illness, alongside experiences with the criminal justice system and healthcare services more widely.
As health is largely shaped outside the healthcare system, the recommendations that improve living and working conditions, and the distribution of power, money and resources that shape daily life will therefore have a greater effect on promoting health equity than just focusing on healthcare services, the experts conclude. PTI AK PY PY
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.