Health Disparities Hit Rural Children Of Color Hardest

[Rogue Valley]

Children of color in rural areas battle deep health care disparities

Lack of health care and healthy food can be a death sentence for African American and Native American children.

www.axios.com

4/17/21
Living in the nation's poorest, most rural communities can be a death sentence for African American and Native American children. Lack of health care and healthy food make Black and indigenous children in the nation’s most disadvantaged counties five times as likely to die as children in other areas of the country, the advocacy group Save the Children found after analyzing federal data. The poorest families were coping with stress, debt and hunger before the coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak and resulting job losses have stretched millions of families close to the breaking point this past year.

• Families struggling with poverty or underemployment often lack access to health insurance coverage.
• Their rural areas and urban enclaves don't have access to quality health care technology and services, advocates say.
• Black and Latino children entering emergency rooms are less likely than white children to receive X-rays, CT scans and other diagnostic imaging tests, according to a 2021 JAMA Network Open study — meaning serious problems could go overlooked.

Since the pandemic's start...

• About 1 in 5 families don't have enough to eat, and 1 in 3 families have had trouble affording medical care, the latest Save the Children's 2021 Child Protection Ranking found.
• Black and Hispanic families are more likely to not have enough food or money to cover housing costs — or the right tools for kids to learn remotely.
• 54% of rural households with children report they have experienced serious problems caring for their kids, including keeping their children's education going, helping them adjust to major life changes and finding space for physical activity.

I'll hold the Biden administration accountable for correcting/ameliorating this situation.

Part of the latest stimulus funding was to be dedicated to improving the healthcare of rural/poor children.

 

[Luther]

Children of color in rural areas battle deep health care disparities

Lack of health care and healthy food can be a death sentence for African American and Native American children.

www.axios.com

I'll hold the Biden administration accountable for correcting/ameliorating this situation.

Part of the latest stimulus funding was to be dedicated to improving the healthcare of rural/poor children.

Do they not get free healthcare?