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TAKE ACTION TODAY
The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced Ohio, and the nation, to acknowledge the longstanding systemic and institutional health disparities that disproportionately impact communities of color. Social determinants of health, limited access to care, and racial discrimination have adversely impacted public health for centuries. Throughout the pandemic, Black and brown communities have experienced disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 infection than “white” communities, yet have less access to testing, treatment, and vaccines than “white” communities.
Policy and legislation identifying RACISM as a root cause of these disparities, inequities, and adversities are necessary to combat ever-present public health issues… while a comprehensive Health Equity Lens is needed to prevent them.
Fill out the form below to call on your legislators to support HCR6/SCR4 and require that all state, municipal, and local policy and legislation be assessed with a comprehensive health equity lens, prior to adoption.
The League of Women Voters of Ohio position on Health Equity recommends that all proposed Ohio policy and legislation is evaluated for its impact on health equity, prior to adoption. State, municipal, and local resolutions addressing racism are the first step in a multi-step legislative process to combat health disparities. Because public health intersects with multiple facets of government, all proposed policy and legislation must be comprehensively evaluated for their direct and indirect impact on health equity. This includes bills for healthcare, education, criminal justice, energy, transportation, environment, etc. Only then can Ohio begin the needed analysis, research, policies, legislation, and funding necessary to eliminate these health disparities.
Concurrent Resolutions HCR 6 and SCR 4 identify the root cause of health disparities and point to using a Health and Racial Equity Lens. The resolutions directly connect racism to higher infant and maternal mortality rates, higher incidences of childhood trauma, higher youth incarceration rates, higher poverty rates, and a life expectancy almost four years below “white” Ohioans… and offer the following Racial Equity Lens:
- Establishing a glossary of terms and definitions concerning racism and health equity;
- Assert that racism is a public health crisis affecting our entire community;
- Expand understanding of racism and how racism affects individual and population health;
- Committing to review all portions of codified ordinances with a racial equity lens;
- Committing to conduct all human resources, vendor selection and grant management activities with a racial equity lens including reviewing all internal policies and practices such as hiring, promotions, leadership appointments and funding;
- Promoting racially equitable economic and workforce development practices;
- Promoting and encouraging all policies that prioritize the health of people of color, and support local, state, regional, and federal initiatives that advance efforts to dismantle systematic racism and mitigating exposure to adverse childhood experience and trauma training of all elected officials, staff, funders and grantees on workplace biases and how to mitigate them;
- Encouraging community partners and stakeholders in the education, employment, housing, and criminal justice and safety arenas to recognize racism as a public health crisis and to activate the above items;
- Securing adequate resources to successfully accomplish the above activities.
Revive the Protect Trafficked Minors Act
Thank you for your time. There is no action for you to take at this time as a non-Ohio resident. You can support LWV Ohio by making a donation.
Thank you for writing to taking action to protect Ohio's democracy and the public interests of Ohioans!
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