July 20, 2020
With your support, we're working to eliminate healthcare disparities.
In partnership with the NAACP, NKF hosted a Q&A webinar to address the latest updates on COVID-19 and discuss how it is affecting people of color - those who are also disproportionately affected by kidney disease. The live session featured an expert panel including Francesca Weaks, NAACP Policy and Research Manager.
African Americans are six to seven times more likely to die from COVID-19 than white Americans. Nationwide, African Americans represent 12.9% of the population, but have suffered 25.1% of deaths - roughly double their population share, among all American deaths where race and ethnicity is known.
Possible reasons for this alarming impact on minority communities are a lack of access to basic resources including food, water, shelter, and transportation; suboptimal housing conditions; employment in essential jobs with limited protections; lack of access to healthcare services and mistrust of institutions due to discriminatory experiences. COVID-19 has brought so many challenges to the forefront, and the issue of health disparities facing minority communities is one of the most difficult. This conversation is just one of many. We will work towards providing all kidney patients and their families with access to the quality care, treatment and guidance they need in an uncertain time for all of us.
Read NKF's statement on Racial Violence and Disparities in America here.
