African-Americans in the United States are more likely to die from HIV, develop Alzheimer’s disease, or require amputation from diabetic complications than their white counterparts, and the healthcare industry’s racial disparity is as much an economic issue as it is a social issue, said Richard Carmona.
“It’s about making smart decisions, because if you don’t deal with this, the disease and economic burden just continues to go up,” said the former Surgeon General of the United States. “And you can pass it on to the next generation, but what I can tell you today is, if we don’t do something about these disparities, these injustices and so on, the disease and economic burden we will leave our children is unsustainable. The bank is breaking today.”
Carmona was speaking as part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Equity Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania Jan. 27. Watch the video below for a preview of his speech. Check back for complete coverage.