LOUISIANA– Recently Governor John Bel Edwards shared alarming news in a press conference on April the 6th that African Americans make up about 33% of Louisiana’s population and also represent a fluctuating majority of coronavirus deaths that have ranged from 70 to 59 percent. A newly formed task force is ready to step in and save lives: The COVID-19 Equity Task Force.
Dr. Sandra Brown is the Dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge; she is also the Equity Task Force Co-chair and says, “it’s sad that the poorest people in our society pay the biggest ultimate cost.”
Pre-existing medical conditions have been targeted as the reason for the large inequity in numbers and are part of long existing health disparities that plague the black community. Louisiana often leads in statistics for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, as well as different variations of cancer. Additionally, many individuals work careers with a high risk of exposure to the virus and live in congested urban areas. To put a very sobering and succinct reasoning to the dilemma, Dr. Brown says, “when you have chronic disease, plus poor socioeconomic status, plus a lack of access to health care, then thats going to yield poor outcomes. The average household has 5, 6, to 7 multigenerational family members living under one roof, sharing one bathroom, or they may have apartments with all the kids at home now… how do you quarantine that safely?”
The COVID-19 Equity Task force plans to change the data using a wholistic approach, using relatable dialogue and a wide array of mediums. Dr. Brown says there is a lot to take into account when finding solutions and one of the largest problems she notices is a lack of access to healthcare for underserved communities. Part of the solution is to dispel myths that often circulate on social media. However, as the effort of wearing masks and other personal protective equipment is suggested and often required, there is a coinciding fear among some individuals of being targeted with racial profiling for having a covered face.
The task force is composed of 18 executive member-professionals and academic professionals at the top of their fields from all around the state. Additionally, there are subcommittees of subject matter experts that include public policy professionals, medical workers, community leaders and faith based organizations. Included in the task force are faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, who want to continue to help students matriculate towards a better tomorrow. The task force will meet every Friday to change the culture and therefore alter the data. One idea that is circulating now is to have an interactive, online dashboard with information. Dr. Brown says there in addition to utilizing technology, the task force will participate in street campaigns. “We are taking our message out to the barbershops, the restaurants, nail salons, and other establishments where people of color are likely to gather. The solution is out there, we just have to find it,” says Dr. Brown.