Perspectives on Equity
Let’s start where we can agree
Most of us would agree that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to live a healthy life. Unfortunately, it's not happening here in Oregon.
A Black child in Oregon is 50% more likely to suffer from low birth weight and a Black mother 50% more likely to die from childbirth than their White counterparts. A Latino boy in Oregon is twice as likely to develop diabetes as a non-Latino. A girl born in Jefferson County is seven times more likely to become a teen mom than if she were born in Benton County.
That’s unfair ... and expensive.
Epidemiological research has shown that health inequities faced by African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans alone cost the American health system more than $70 billion per year.
When you add the indirect costs of these inequities, the tab comes to $1.24 trillion over four years." - Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Report, 2009
The foundation works in this area because these are not only costly and preventable issues, but they are also issues of social justice.
Please join us and our partners in this work. Connect with us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our e-news to find out more and learn about grant opportunities that may arise.
Working together, we can do more than any one of us can do alone.
“Points of View” is an occasional series of communications around topics that cut across all the work of Northwest Health Foundation.
The title reflects the point of view of the foundation, along with the many points of view represented by our diverse community partners.
