The state of Black maternal health in the United States is dire—and has been for centuries. Despite incredible gains in civil rights, Black women are still three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. In some places, like New York City, this number is as high as nine times.
A shortage of vaccines.
Confusing messages about who is at risk.
Challenges accessing diagnostic testing and appropriate treatments.
The public health response to monkeypox looks too much like our nation’s incomplete and inequitable response to COVID-19.
In a time when little feels apolitical, most would agree that every person has a right to achieve optimal health. One pathway to achieve improved health for all is by centering equity in health care delivery.
Monkeypox, a serious but usually non-fatal disease that can cause flu-like symptoms and painful lesions, stems from a virus similar to smallpox that spreads through close physical contact. Contrary to its name, the virus’s natural reservoir is not thought to be primates — rather, the zoonotic disease tends to be carried by rodents, which can then pass the virus to human hosts.
