Title: What are Health Disparities?
Headings: What are Health Disparities?
What are Health Disparities?
Further Reading
Dr. Ananya Mandal

Content: Among African Americans, the incident rate of asthma is 28% higher than among whites and the incidence rate of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is around two to three times greater among African American females than among white females. SLE is also more common among Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women. Infectious diseases such as Hepatitis C are also more prevalent among African Americans who account for 22 percent of Hepatitis C cases, despite only making up around 13% of the U.S population. In 2007, almost 70% of gonorrhoea cases and around 50% of Chlamydia and syphilis cases occurred in African Americans. Compared to the white population, African Americans are at an overall greater risk of conditions that lead to end-stage organ failure such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. The requirement for organ transplant is therefore greater among this population, a need that is not currently met by the amount of organs available. Compared with other ethnic groups, the rate of organ rejection is also higher among African Americans, while the survival rate after transplantation is lower. Developing countries are particularly prone to health disparities and in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals and resolve these health disparities, access to health care must be improved in these countries. There are several factors that lead to these disparities, some of which are listed below: Poor access to healthcare
Poverty
Exposure to environmental problems
Inadequate level of education
Individual and behavioural factors
Further Reading
All Health Disparities Content
Disparities in Access to Health Care
Disparities in Quality of Health Care
Ending Health Disparities
Health Inequalities
More...
Last Updated: