Black residents have represented 21% of Michigan's COVID-19 deaths, despite making up 14% of the state's overall population. And sadly, disparate health outcomes are nothing new for Michiganders of color. However, COVID has helped to raise awareness of bigger-picture health inequities and the importance of addressing them – not only at the level of large institutions, including governments and health care providers, but also at an individual level.
On this week's episode of Michigan's State of Health, we sat down with Jametta Lilly, CEO of the
Detroit Parent Network and member of the
Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, to discuss how COVID-19 has affected perception of health equity and inequity in Michigan. Join us as we discuss the roots of Michigan's health inequities, how COVID has prompted new efforts to address them, and the next steps toward creating an equitable health system for all Michiganders.
Michigan's State of Health is a spinoff of the State of Health series of feature stories, which you can read
here. Michigan's State of Health is produced by
Issue Media Group and made possible through the support of the
Michigan Health Endowment Fund.
Listen here:
Photo by Nick Hagen.
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