Socially disadvantaged groups around the world face a variety of health challenges, limiting their access to healthcare. Discrimination facing marginalized communities has built up over several hundred years in a snowballing fashion due to multiple environmental and historical factors that include slavery and xenophobia. Discrimination doesn’t exist in isolation and interacts with many societal factors in the lives of many, worsening the aspects of poverty, insufficient education, lack of access to healthcare, etc. Many don’t account for discrimination being a core factor in the corrupt healthcare system, often overlooking it. In reality, however, individuals who have experienced discrimination may be more reluctant to seek health care for health conditions in the future, as they may fear being discriminated against, worsening their conditions. Addressing racism is essential in improving health practices and systems worldwide, and leaving this mammoth problem unresolved will create significant health disparities.

Works Cited:

Rivenbark, Joshua G., and Mathieu Ichou. “Discrimination in healthcare as a barrier to care: Experiences of socially disadvantaged populations in France from a Nationally Representative Survey.” BMC Public Health, vol. 20, no. 1, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8124-z.

Simmons, Maisha. “Achieving Health Equity Begins with Advancing Racial Equity.” RWJF, http://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/blog/2023/06/achieving-health-equity-begins-with-advancing-racial-equity.html. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.