Due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) is developing innovative ways to continue engaging, informing and listening to communities. For 51 years, NHCOA has worked to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers. This year is no different.
Considering the current public health crisis, NHCOA is hosting virtual events focused on issues that are important to our communities during this pandemic. These events allow us to continue to serve our mission while protecting communities.
In a continuation of our dedication to disseminate timely and accurate information while also creating culturally and linguistically sensitive spaces in which Hispanic older adults, their families and caregivers can come together to discuss issues impacting their lives while connecting with local leaders, advocates, service providers and policymakers to work towards solutions that address the community’s specific needs; this tele-town hall will be one of those spaces.
NHCOA’s Tele-Town Hall: “Health Inequities and COVID-19” will be conducted in English on July 22, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM (EST). You can register for the tele-town hall at: bit.ly/3dAxXkx
This tele-town hall will discuss existing health inequities prior to COVID-19 and how those inequities have grown during the pandemic.
It is becoming increasingly clear, based on evolving data, that COVID-19 is having a more devastating impact on Blacks, Latinos and American Indians across the nation. Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and CEO of NHCOA, emphasizes that, “the disparate impact COVID-19 has had on communities of color further highlights the existing health inequities that are borne out of systematic and structural racism that has existed for centuries in the United States. These systemic and structural inequities result in financial insecurity, substandard housing, poverty that does not allow for financial planning for emergencies and jobs that cannot be done remotely, do not offer health insurance and potentially limited access to healthcare. These realities lead to many of the conditions that heighten the risk for becoming infected with COVID-19.”
The tele-town hall topics will include why are communities of color disparately affected by health inequities, challenges and solutions in mental health during the pandemic, immigrant communities and the health inequities they face, LGBTQ health during the pandemic, and health status of American Indians. The tele-town hall will wrap up with a discussion about how to address these inequities. The format will consist of presenters followed by a facilitated question and answer session.
Health Inequities and COVID-19:
As states and cities begin releasing Covid-19 outcomes by race/ethnicity, the data show that Blacks, Latinos and American Indians are facing higher risks when it comes to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. In the US, black people account for 13% of the population, but 24% of COVID-19 deaths where race is known. And blacks, Latinos, American Indians and Asian Americans also represent a disproportionate number of cases. Navajo Nation has more confirmed cases of COVID-19 per capita than every U.S. state except two (New York and New Jersey). On July 5, 2020, Navajo Nation reported 7,840 confirmed positive cases and 378 COVID-19 attributable deaths. There are approximately 332,000 enrolled members in this Nation, with 173,667 citizens living on the reservation.
New Orleans, LA, Milwaukee, WI, Detroit, MI, Kansas City, MO, and Chicago, IL, are just a few of the cities that have experienced dramatic racial disparities in coronavirus impacts. Health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, acknowledged that populations of color are often hit extra hard by health crises, and this pandemic is no different.
Health disparities and health inequities existed prior to this pandemic. So, it comes as no surprise that these inequities exist. Experts explain that racial inequities in COVID-19 cases and deaths exist for several reasons, including
- Communities of color are more likely to live in densely populated areas where the virus can spread easily,
- They are more likely to work the low-wage service jobs that require close contact with many people and have been exempted from stay-at-home orders,
- They are more likely to be uninsured when compared to whites,
- Immigration status is a barrier to health insurance coverage. The newly passed public charge rule has had a huge effect on immigrant communities who out of fear, are either not enrolling or are disenrolling in public benefits like Medicaid.
- They are more likely to have chronic diseases and other conditions that can exacerbate COVID-19, and
- Communities of color often face conscious or subconscious discrimination in medical treatment (shown by research), meaning if hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms, racial minorities may also be less likely to receive effective treatment.
Incomplete data on race/ethnicity further compound these inequities. While COVID-19 has affected millions of Americans from all backgrounds, COVID-19 is devastating communities of color due to the systemic and structural racism and inequities that existed long before this pandemic hit our borders. The time has come for those in positions of power to face these inequities and systems head on to prevent further inequities.
Sponsors:
NHCOA´s COVID-19 tele-town hall could not be possible without the generous support of our many sponsors: AARP, Amgen, Verizon, PhRMA, Lyft, Pfizer Foundation, AbbVie, Herbalife Nutrition and Lilly.
About the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA):
NHCOA is the leading national organization working to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and their caregivers. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NHCOA has been a strong voice dedicated to promoting, educating, and advocating for research, policy, and practice in the areas of economic security, health, and housing for Hispanic older adults, families, and caregivers for more than 50 years.
