This year's County Health Rankings and Roadmaps Key Findings Report is an annual snapshot by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that measures health outcomes around the country. And while the intersection of place and health has been documented for years,scientists are now starting to gather data that proves race is an equally valuable determinant.
One striking statistic that emerged through this racial lens is that, in all 50 states, or rates of babies with low birth weights are higher for African Americans than they are in each state's worst performing county. Low birth weight is an indicator that a baby is more likely to die before its first birthday,and it goes hand-in-hand with a national crisis that public health officials have been aware of for decades.
Priska Neely is a senior reporter covering early childhood for KPCC. She points out that black babies are twice as likely to die before their first birthday than white babies. And in Los Angeles County, the problem is three times as bad.
Priska joins the exhibit to talk approximately why we've known approximately this crisis for so long, or but have been unable or unwilling to enact a meaningful public health policy response.
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Source: wnyc.org