Advancing health equity: Time to address racism and structural discrimination in global health
When? 21 October 2022 / 9:00 am - 11:00 am EDT
Where? Virtual, In-Person
On the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and following the presentation of Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng’s report, Racism and the Right to Health, to UNGA, the Lancet Medical Journal and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown University will be announcing their Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination and Global Health. This three-year commission will bring together experts from across the globe to uncover and promote anti-racist strategies and actions to reduce barriers to health and wellbeing facing communities on the basis of race, ethnicity, tribe, caste, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
We invite you to join us Friday, October 21, 2022 from 9:00 – 10:30 AM EST for a panel discussion on accurately diagnosing the problem of racism in global health.
The work of the commission is rooted in the recognition that racism, rather than race, creates and maintains unjust and avoidable health inequities in countries around the world. Racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes are increasingly recognized worldwide, and the commission starts from the premise that the impact of racism inside and outside the health sector is a driver of health inequity that has not been sufficiently understood and addressed as a phenomenon that spans borders.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically highlighted the urgency of addressing racism directly when it comes to health,” said Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, co-chair of the commission. “It has also raised critical questions about the continuing colonial relationships undergirding global health efforts. Now is the time to confront this reality and accept that too little progress has been achieved to reduce discrimination in health.”
To attend this event virtually or in-person at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York City (320 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017), please register here.