A recent study revealed that black newborns in the US who received care from black doctors are more likely to survive. Conducted by George Mason University, the study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It analyzed the mortality rates of black infants when care was delivered by black doctors and white doctors; and reported the startling disparity. When black babies had a white doctor they were much more likely to die in the hospital. When the doctor was black, the likelihood of the black newborns death was reduced.
Rachel Hardeman, co-author said on twitter, “Our study provides the first evidence that the black-white newborn mortality gap is smaller when black MDs provide care for black newborns than when white MDs do, lending support to research examining the importance of racial concordance in addressing health care inequities.” The CDC reported “black infants have 2.3 times the infant mortality rate as White infants” according to CNN citing the study. The CDC reported disparities in mortality of black mothers in the US, with black woman more likely to die from pregnancy-related or childbirth-related causes than a white woman”.
The data alone should motivate hospitals and healthcare professionals to examine the causes for such disparities. This will require a comprehensive review of the entire health delivery system to determine best practices, procedures, and personnel. Hospitals must be equipt with the right administrators, doctors, nurses, and support staff to eliminate biases and institutional racism.
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad warned us in Message To The Black Man of the aim of Yacub’s grafted devils and the doctors, nurses, ministers and cremator’s who carry out orders. “His aim was to kill and destroy the black nation”. The George Mason study provides evidence that white doctors were “underperforming” during their treatment of black infants. This is a sobering truth that black people should not ignore.
