CDC Declares Racism a "Serious Public Health Threat"

Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, CDC, and Administrator, ATSDR

”The pandemic illuminated inequities that have existed for generations and revealed for all of America a known, but often unaddressed, epidemic impacting public health: racism." -Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Citing the “structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives, where they work, where their children play, and where they worship and gather in community,” the CDC recently declared racism a “serious public health threat” and launched an initiative to address the stark disparities that have built up over generations of inequality.

The CDC’s new web portal, Racism and Health, is a resource for information and discussion on health disparities and how they affect both physical and mental well-being. As part of its new focus on racism, the CDC committed to further study and investments in disproportionately affected communities.