Jabeer Butt CEO of the Race Equality Foundation at the launch of the Health Equals campaign which addresses life expectancy
Published On: 1 July 2024

The Race Equality Foundation are pleased to have been involved in the development of the Make Heath Equal campaign as urgent action is needed on the “building blocks” of health and wellbeing to tackle racial inequality.

The Make Health Equal campaign is highlighting the role of access to healthy food, more affordable, quality housing, improved air quality and access to green spaces in reducing health equalities. Comparatively poorer access and poorer experiences affect people of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds disproportionately contributing to poorer health and wellbeing.
“The focus on inequalities of place will likely have a positive impact on people of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds, but without a specific focus on race and ethnicity this will be limited,” said Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation.
Research by the Foundation has previously shown that specific groups of black, Asian and ethnic minority people have a much lower life expectancy. For example, the average age of death for people with a learning disability who are from an ethnic minority is 34 years, just over half the life expectancy of white counterparts, at 62 years of age.
“These are very real inequalities that black, Asian and ethnic minority people are living with, whether they are in an inner city or a leafy suburb,” Jabeer said.
“Work by the Foundation has consistently shown that programmes to improve everyone’s health or tackle poverty needs to be accompanied by specific steps to tackle racial inequality to ensure better outcomes for people of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds too.  I hope that the Make Health Equal campaign makes the case for action and change on racial inequalities in health,” Jabeer said.
Ends.