LAFAYETTE, La. (KATC) — A free community health summit addressing the Black healthcare gap is coming to Lafayette on April 10 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Downtown Convention Center on Buchanan Street.
R.S.V.P. is required to attend the event presented by Sun Community Housing Development Organization and United Advocates for Black Health Equity, and you can do so by calling 337-501-7617.
According to both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Black people in the U.S. experience significant health disparities leading to a life expectancy nearly five years shorter than their white counterparts. Research finds that structural inequities — like access to care, discrimination and racism over time — have led to disparities such as higher rates of chronic illness — like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke — along with more than twice the infant mortality rate and significantly higher maternal mortality.
"There's numerous things that play into this, lack of knowledge, sometimes the healthcare provider, so we're actually working to come together as community stakeholders, leaders, and health professionals to address the gap," said Chiara Mouton, a member of the United Advocates for Black Health Equity with Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center. "Making sure that we have healthcare facilities accommodating our Black community, that our Black community knows how to get to these resources, we want to come to the table at this event so we can work together and figure it out as a community."
