Breaking Barriers: Building an Inclusive Healthcare System

Over the past few years, we’ve seen advancements in medicine and technology when it comes to diagnosing and treating breast cancer. 

However, even though we’re making progress in reducing the number of deaths from breast cancer, statistics are showing that Black women still have higher mortality rates — up to 40 percent higher — than white women with the same disease.  

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why:

• Disparities are multifaceted, stemming from factors such as late-stage diagnoses, medical gaslighting and limited representation in clinical trials. 
• Black women are often diagnosed at younger ages and with more aggressive forms of breast cancer.
• There are regional disparities in education and literature on screenings, self exams and taking risk-reducing measures against breast cancer.  
• There is historical mistrust of the medical system among Black communities.

This emphasizes the urgent need for targeted interventions, culturally sensitive healthcare approaches and community engagement initiatives to address these systemic issues and improve outcomes for Black women facing breast cancer.

We can start by acknowledging all the aspects of these issues and creating action steps that aim for equal treatment and accessibility among healthcare systems. This means we must ensure that every individual receives the support and care they rightly deserve.