Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the efforts of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals. The principles of public health are sustainability, the power of prevention, decision- making driven by data, local and global impact, social justice, and access to healthcare is a right (McDonough, 2014). A health disparity is defined as the inequalities that occur in healthcare and access to healthcare across different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups (Mandal, 2019). In the United States, some population groups face more barriers than the general population when trying to access timely and necessary health care services (Shi & Singh, 2019). Health equity is defined as everyone having a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This is only possible if hardships like poverty and discrimination are removed (Braveman et al., 2022). Minority groups and people of color have higher death and illness rates when it comes to health conditions. These disparities cost about 93 billion dollars in excessive medical care and 42 billion dollars are lost in productivity due to premature deaths. Our population is becoming more diverse and by the year of 2050 people of color will make up more than half the population (Artiga & Ndugga, 2021). Racial and ethnic disparities exist in the United States healthcare system. There are many differences between racial/ethnic groups when it comes to health status and health-related lifestyles. These disparities exist because of social determinants like geography, socioeconomic status, lack of access to providers, cultural barriers, and gender. An example of a racial disparity is the percentage of live births in which the child weighed less than 2,500 grams was greatest amongst African Americans. Mothers of white descent are least likely to smoke during their pregnancies. It is more likely that a Black American will have an economic disadvantage than a white individual, also falling behind when in terms of health status. These disparities can also be seen in preventative care as well, white women over the age of 40 have the highest rate of mammogram usage and the population with the lowest usage is Hispanics. Obesity rates are higher in the southern states, this is a geographical disparity, things like income, access to healthy food, culture, and eating habits are all contributing factors. When comparing the life expectancies of black people and white people, it was found that black people's life expectancy was 4 years lower than white (Shi & Singh, 2019). The Covid-19 pandemic has also impacted disparities in healthcare. American Indian, Hispanic, and Black individuals have experienced disproportionate rates of illness and death due to Covid. This is due to an increased risk of exposure to Covid from conditions due to their living situations, work, and modes of transportation. In addition, Hispanic and Black individuals were less likely to receive the covid-19 vaccine compared to white individuals. This could be due to the inequities and barriers that people of color face when trying to get healthcare. The disparities that people of color faced during the pandemic may lead to further health risks for the community, especially in populations of unvaccinated individuals (Artiga & Ndugga, 2021).
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