29-05-2025
Tackling racism as a public health crisis
Public health departments are reporting progress in incorporating racial equity into their ongoing initiatives.
Catch up quick: Local and state officials made 2020 declarations condemning racism as a public health crisis.
Data has long illustrated the health disparities between white and Black communities, including life expectancy. The problem gained renewed focus when the COVID-19 pandemic and protests happened simultaneously.
Zoom in: Franklin County Public Health hired an associate director of equity and inclusion that year, and Columbus Public Health shifted resources to create a Center for Public Health Innovation.
Both are training staff and working to address underlying, systemic issues that can worsen health.
Franklin County created an equity advisory council of over 50 organizations that continues meeting monthly to support its efforts.
What they're saying: Columbus' health commissioner, Mysheika Roberts, offered three examples of how the city's center has made a difference.
💉 Vaccine access: Giving recipients $100 gift cards and adding more clinic sites in 2021 through a "Vax Cash" program closed a 7% gap in COVID-19 vaccination rates between Franklin County's white and Black residents.
🚭 Flavored tobacco ban: This 2022 ordinance enforced by the health department has reduced Columbus' number of tobacco retailers, which have historically targeted Black communities.
The city's smoking rate (13%) has also dropped below the state average (15%).
🚓 Office of Violence Prevention: This city initiative launched in 2023 was a recommendation of the Center for Public Health Innovation. Gun violence disproportionately impacts Black neighborhoods.
