A ground-breaking new Institute of Health Equity (IHE) review concludes that structural racism affects the health and wellbeing of ethnic minority group communities in London and leads to avoidable and unfair inequalities between ethnic groups.
With insights from Jabeer Butt OBE and Tracey Bignall from the Race Equality Foundation, Structural Racism, Ethnicity and Health Inequalities in London highlights how people who are repeatedly exposed to racism during their daily lives, or when using essential services, increasingly experience worse physical and mental health over time.
The report also acknowledges the many new and outstanding efforts to reduce racism in
London, but found the impacts remain starkly evident, manifesting, particularly, in ethnic
inequalities in poverty, housing, employment, pay and career progression.
IHE researchers also highlights the well-documented marked inequalities among ethnic groups
in maternal and child health and mental illness, alongside experiences with the criminal justice
system and healthcare services more widely.
The IHE is calling for greater accountability, particularly from leaders, institutions and
employers to prevent racism from continuing unchecked and to improve the lives of people who
experience it. The review’s approach and recommendations are relevant elsewhere in UK.
Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of the Foundation said:
