In the nation’s capital, especially in areas like Ward 7 and 8, low-income residents face the challenge of accessing quality health care, which often feels like a luxury rather than a fundamental right.
“Everyone should have a fair and just chance to obtain their best health regardless of the circumstances that you’re faced with, but unfortunately, we know that in the U.S. and communities like Ward 7, there are health disparities by race, ethnicity, by gender, income and education,” said Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, an associate dean of research and the director for local and global reciprocal innovation at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Equity in the school of nursing.
Despite challenges of access to health care, underserved communities in Washington, D.C. are getting help from a nonprofit called Distant Relatives, which is working to fill the gaps. The organization provides health care screening services to residents who struggle to access quality care every fourth Saturday of the month in McPherson Square Park at 10:30 a.m.
“Our goal is increasing health care accessibility and also connecting people with free resources to get the screenings or whatever they may need,” William Asiedu, the president and founder of the nonprofit, told The Washington Informer. “We provide advanced physicals that you can get at the hospital.”
Asiedu said his organization also helps people experiencing homelessness by meeting their health care needs and providing services to the community. In addition, the organization partners with Whitman-Walker Health to provide HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) screenings. They work alongside Howard University’s Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) to provide health care support to the community.
According to the National Library of Medicine report “What Racism Has to Do with It: Understanding and Reducing Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Youth of Color,” the current epidemic of HIV/AIDS and other STDs affecting communities of color in the U.S. is not receiving the attention it requires in health and social policy.
Commodore-Mensah emphasized that addressing health disparities requires more than just expanding health care access; it involves tackling the social determinants of health that disproportionately impact communities of color.
“We need to implement social and economic policies that allow people to have healthy foods, have stable housing, have steady employment as well,” Commodore-Mensah said.
Life Expectancy Disparities by ZIP Code
With unequal access to health care also comes disparities with life expectancy.
“Where you live, the circumstances in your neighborhood influence your health,” said Commodore-Mendsah. “We know that in the U.S. and also [in areas like] Ward 7 and [Ward 8], your ZIP code is a better predictor of your health than your genetic code.”
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation noted that people’s ZIP codes determine how long they live.
“One in five Americans live in neighborhoods with high rates of crime, pollution, inadequate housing, lack of jobs and limited access to nutritious food,” the foundation explains, noting these challenges as a contributing factor to how long residents in certain ZIP codes live.
Georgetown University’s report, titled “Health Disparities in the Black Community: An Imperative for Racial Equity in the District of Columbia,” reveals that life expectancy and quality of life indicators in numerous communities east of the river deviate from the patterns observed in other parts of the city.
For example, the report reveals the combination of Wards 7 and 8 produces a life expectancy of 73 years, whereas the merging of Wards 2 and 3 results in a life expectancy of 86 years.
Moreover, there’s a significant disparity of 15 years in life expectancy between residents residing in Ward 3 (87) and Ward 8 (72).
With such a wide gap in life expectancy, Commodore-Mensah emphasized that such inequities should be addressed by offering opportunities for people to engage with health care workers right in their communities.
“We know that community health workers can be deployed and we learned through the COVID-19 pandemic that community health workers can be deployed to tackle health crises,” she said.