A report released last Thursday by the Alameda County Public Health Department exposes a widening gap between the poor and the rest of in our community. A black child living in West Oakland can expect to die 15 years earlier than a white child in the Oakland Hills. This difference is not a result of differences in murder rates between these areas. The dramatic difference in lifespan is driven by access to health care, nutritious food, exercise, pollution, and other factors.
The fact that poor don't live as long as wealthy people is not surprising. The fact the the difference in lifespan could be 15 years is shocking. Poverty is a profound issue for our community - but one that seems to get little attention.
Source: Fernandez, Elizabeth, "Study Spotlights Bleak Effects of Poverty." San Francisco Chronicle 18 Apr. 2008: A1.
No comments:
Post a Comment