November is National Diabetes Month
It is not new information that people of color are disproportionately affected by diseases. One of these diseases is diabetes. Upwards of 30 million Americans have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and 55.6 % of those people are people of color. It’s important to see how they are being disproportionately affected and how to help them.
Black and Brown Americans are 77% more likely to develop diabetes. Part of this has to do with the poverty rates in their communities. Disproportionately affected, Black and Brown people often end up in areas where there are not as many healthy food options and have limited access to physical exercise equipment. Additionally, These communities do not have the same quality of healthcare as white communities and lack access to a regular physician.
Furthermore, diabetes is a disease that requires medication in order to be managed. The prices of these medications have risen by 58%. However, because of systemic racism, it’s harder for people of color to make money and build capital. Therefore, it is harder for people of color to afford the insulin and medication they need to survive.
With insulin costing upwards of $300, people resort to rationing or crowdfunding their next prescription. However, rationing medication does not properly treat diabetes and it can also unfortunately lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis causes death and has taken more lives each year as the price of insulin has gone up.
The expense of diabetes medication is out of control. There must be a stop to increasing prices, or a healthcare system that takes the burden off the shoulders of these communities. Why are the people most likely to be affected by it the least likely to be insured?
This is why there needs to be a change in the healthcare system for medications altogether, but especially for diabetes. People should not have to ration medication that is saving their lives because it is too expensive.
We see that there needs to be a change. Neighborhood FORWARD stands with disproportionately affected communities.
