Against the backdrop of large-scale demonstrations triggered by the realities of systemic bias and structural racism that give rise to health, economic, and legal inequities and their tragic, often lethal, consequences, the National Academy of Medicine’s Culture of Health Program works in partnership with national and local stakeholders on behalf of the fundamental changes needed to eliminate those inequities for populations across the United States.
As COVID-19 commands the attention of our nation, we face an extraordinary opportunity to advance health equity – a state where everyone in the United States is able to achieve their full health potential – by eliminating the structural barriers to good health for marginalized populations. One of the root causes of health inequity is structural racism, illuminated most recently by the disproportionate outcomes for people of color related to COVID-19 and increasingly highlighted in the national dialogue around racial injustice.
The Culture of Health Program is committed to advancing the scientific underpinnings for progress in health equity and sharing evidence-based strategies to bring about the transformation in policy decision-making and public recognition necessary to dismantle structural racism and ultimately achieve health equity for all – mitigating the effects of the current crisis and safeguarding the well-being of our nation for the future. Resources on health equity in the context of COVID-19 are available below. For more information on the program and additional tools to understand and address the root causes of systemic and structural inequities and their health consequences, visit the Culture of Health Program homepage.
Resources on Health Equity in the Context of COVID-19 and Disproportionate Outcomes for Marginalized Groups
Resources from the National Academies by Type
Resources
Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine
National Academy of Medicine members urge Black Americans to get vaccinated
60 Black NAM Members Author Op-Ed Urging Black Americans to Get COVID-19 Vaccines
Conversations on COVID-19: Impacts on Communities of Color
Resources on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Past Webinars
COVID Conversations #17 – New Year of COVID: The State of the Pandemic and U.S. Strategy in 2021
COVID Conversations #16 – Vaccines: The Realities of the Next Steps
COVID Conversations #5 – COVID-19 Testing: Possibilities, Challenges, and Ensuring Equity
COVID Conversations #2 – The Science of Social Distancing: Part 2
Culture and Inclusiveness Action Collaborative Webinar
COVID-19 and Black Communities: A Workshop
Resources by Source
U.S. Government Agencies
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
COVID-19 Funding Available to Minority, Rural and Socially Vulnerable Communities for Linkages to Services, Information and Education (Note: Applications closed on May 11, 2020)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Communication Toolkit For Migrants, Refugees, and Other Limited-English-Proficient Populations
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights in Action
Bulletin: Civil Rights, HIPAA, and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
A Decade of FDA Advancing Health Equity
Multilingual COVID-19 Resources
Associations and Organizations
American Medical Association
Why COVID-19 is decimating some Native American communities
The pandemic’s impact on the Native American population
Prioritizing Equity video series: The Root Cause
American Psychological Association
Fighting inequity in the face of COVID-19
APM Research Lab
The Color of Coronavirus: COVID-19 Deaths by Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Brookings Institute
Race Gaps in COVID-19 Deaths Are Event Bigger Than They Appear
Drexel University, Dornsife School of Public Health
Implications of the Pandemic for Health Equity Webinar
Kaiser Family Foundation
Communities of Color at Higher Risk for Health and Economic Challenges due to COVID-19
COVID-19 Presents Significant Risks for American Indian and Alaska Native People
Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network
Respond Crisis Translation
Surgo Foundation
Bringing Greater Precision to the COVID-19 Response
The COVID Tracking Project
Unidos US
The Unequal Impact Of COVID-19 On The Latino Community
Wilson Center
COVID-19: Magnifying the World’s Inequities
Peer-Reviewed Journals, Textbooks, and Trade Press
JAMA
Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Need for a Structurally Competent Health Care System
Data and Policy Solutions to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 and Racial/Ethnic Disparities
National Center for Biotechnology Information
COVID-19 and the US response: accelerating health inequities
COVID-19 and Food Insecurity: an Uneven Patchwork of Responses
ScienceDirect
Promoting health equity in the era of COVID-19
Taylor & Francis Online
The Unique Impact of COVID-19 on Older Adults in Rural Areas
The Lancet
Structural racism and health inequities in the USA: evidence and interventions
We will continue to expand our knowledge and update these resources.
Join the culture of health and health equity as well as the coronavirus mailing lists for related updates.
