National Black Church Initiative Calls for $2.25 Trillion in Spending for African American Healthcare in New Report

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, August 6, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI)), a coalition of 150,000 African American churches, which constitute over 27.7 million churchgoers, has released its National Black Health Agenda Report¹, calling for $2.25 trillion in additional spending for African American healthcare. The report was sent to the White House, GOP, and the 118th US Congress, urging immediate action to address the disparities in healthcare faced by the Black community.

The report highlights the alarming statistics of the current state of African American healthcare, including higher rates of chronic diseases, lower life expectancy, and inadequate access to quality healthcare. It also emphasizes the impact of systemic racism and discrimination on the health outcomes of Black Americans. According to the Washington Post article titled, "Black Communities Endured a Wave of Excess Deaths in the Past 2 Decades³", America’s Black communities experienced an excess of 1.6 million deaths (not counting the COVID-19 deaths) compared with their White counterparts during the past two decades. This is a devastating loss that comes at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, according to two recent studies by the JAMA Network that build on a generation of research into health disparities and inequity.

Rev. Anthony Evans, President of NBCI, stated, "The disparities in healthcare faced by the Black community are a national crisis that requires urgent attention. The Black Church must stand up and use its 27.7 million votes to protect the health of Black people in this 2024 election." Citing the reduced quality of life and economic burden resulting from lack of access to high-quality, affordable healthcare is a primary concern of forty-two million African American voters. Rev Evans continued, "We will vote according to our health interests irrespective of political party. It is time for our government to take bold and decisive action to address these disparities and ensure equitable access to healthcare for all."

Joseph L. Webster, Sr., MD, MBA, FACP Clinical Director, NBCI American Clinical Health Disparity Commission (ACHDC) added, “At this pivotal moment in the survival of humankind as we know it, the ‘church’ again has stepped up to call upon the seat of Government to ‘heal the land.’”

The NBCI is calling for the $2.25 trillion in additional spending to be allocated towards initiatives such as expanding Medicaid, increasing funding for community health centers, and investing in programs to address social determinants of health. The report also urges for the implementation of policies to address racial bias in healthcare and increase diversity in the healthcare workforce.

Since the 1985 Heckler Report, issued by then-Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Margaret Heckler, there have been only words and studies. With expert analysis, for the first time since her report, the National Black Health Agenda has moved to change those words into solid, concrete action, starting in 2025. The NBCI is hopeful that the release of this report will spark meaningful discussions and actions towards achieving health equity for African Americans. The organization is committed to working with government officials and other stakeholders to ensure that the needs of the Black community are addressed and that all Americans have access to quality healthcare.

Dr. David Satcher, former director of the Health Leadership Institute and Center of Excellence on Health Disparities at Morehouse School of Medicine and the 16th Surgeon General of the United States, and Dr. Thomas LaVeist, Dean of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, have both emphasized the critical need for an investment in African American health for the moral and economic future of our nation. Both leaders emphasized the need for a multi-faceted approach to addressing health disparities, including increasing access to quality healthcare, addressing social determinants of health, and promoting health equity. They also called on policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities to work together to create sustainable solutions for improving African American health.

The National Black Health Agenda is a collaborative effort between NBCI, a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches, CME Outfitters, a leading provider of continuing medical education, and the American Clinical Health Disparity Commission, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing health disparities in minority communities. This partnership brings together the expertise and resources of these organizations to tackle the pressing health issues facing the African American community.

Watch this discussion on YouTube² with Rev. Anthony Evans, Dr. Joseph Webster, MD and Dr. James McCoy

ABOUT NBCI
The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino churches working to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, and the environment. The mission of NBCI is to provide critical wellness information to all its members, congregants, churches, and the public. NBCI, utilizing faith and sound health science and partners with major organizations and officials, reduces racial disparities in the variety of areas cited above. NBCI's programs are governed by credible statistical analysis, science-based strategies and techniques, and methods that work and offer faith-based, out-of-the-box, and innovative solutions to stubborn economic and social issues.
https://www.naltblackchurch.com

Anthony Evans
National Black Church Initiative
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¹ https://naltblackchurch.com/pdf/blackhealthagenda-congress.pdf
² https://www.youtube.com/live/Ny89knETkZg?si=1XeLScEw5io8eJxd
³ https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/05/16/black-communities-excess-deaths/