Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • My Cart
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe

How you can prevent, mitigate impact of racism on child health

Kyle E. Yasuda, M.D., FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics
July 29, 2019
  • Letter from the President

As pediatricians, we know that many health disparities are rooted in fundamental social and structural inequalities. As AAP president, I have witnessed these inequities on a national scale.

The impact on communities of color is wide-reaching, systemic and complex. I have learned that indigenous people have among the worst health status and greatest underrepresentation in the health care workforce. I have spoken with migrant children who are experiencing debilitating effects of toxic stress. And I have met with pediatricians in urban communities, where black teenage boys live in fear not only of gang and gun violence but of being targets of the law enforcement and criminal justice systems meant to protect them.

Discrimination both causes and magnifies poverty and illness, which is why pediatricians need to be at the forefront of addressing racism as a core social determinant of health for children and adolescents. A child’s right to attain the highest standard of health can be exercised only when health facilities, educational institutions and basic human services are accessible to all and provided in a nondiscriminatory manner — especially to the most vulnerable or marginalized sections of the population.

The AAP has released a new policy statement that addresses the impact of bias and racism on child and adolescent health (see article at http://bit.ly/2Y0PQWO). Though it is our first formal policy statement devoted to racism, it builds on our previous statements regarding other social determinants of health such as poverty, food insecurity, housing insecurity, child health equity, immigration status and early childhood adversity.

It comes at a time when the population of children in our country is not only more diverse than ever, it is more mixed. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by 2060, the number of multiracial Americans will be three times larger than it is now.

As a trusted source of support for families, pediatricians are uniquely positioned to prevent and mitigate the impact of racism by influencing our practices, our communities and the systems with which our children interact.

In our practices, we must make sure all patients and families know they are welcome, will be treated with respect and will receive high-quality care regardless of background.

In our communities, we can work with government and community-based organizations and advocate for initiatives that:

  • redress biases and inequities in the health, justice and educational systems;
  • reduce exposure to adverse events that alter the health and perceived self-value of youths, and
  • optimize vocational and educational attainment for all students.

We also must create a more diverse and culturally effective pediatric workforce that can meet the health needs of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds by:

  • promoting policies and programs that increase the numbers of racial and ethnic minority pediatricians, pediatric providers and medical students, and
  • providing ongoing education for practicing pediatricians on how to reduce implicit biases and improve safety and quality in the health care delivery system.

Our organization has a history of helping solve significant societal problems that affect children and their health. This new policy serves as a vital bridge to take us from acknowledging disturbing realities to generating effective solutions and interventions.

As a Japanese-Americanboy growing up in Hawaii, I was fortunate to have been a beneficiary of the “aloha spirit” — a culture of love, compassion and taking care of one another. Living on an island, we understood how small and fragile our world was and how much we depended on one another. It was an identity based not on race, but on being and feeling “local.”

It is in this spirit I invite you to join me in our efforts to end discrimination, remove barriers to opportunity and optimize the potential of all children.

Related Content
  • Additional Letters from the President
Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics

Advertising Disclaimer »

Download PDF
Email News Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
How you can prevent, mitigate impact of racism on child health
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
How you can prevent, mitigate impact of racism on child health
Kyle E. Yasuda, M.D., FAAP
July 29, 2019
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
  • Digital Edition Current Issue
  • Latest Daily News
  • Archives
  • Collections
  • Columns
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe to AAP News Magazine
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 AAP Journals Catalog
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics in Review
  • Hospital Pediatrics
  • NeoReviews
  • AAP Grand Rounds
  • AAP Career Center
  • shopAAP
  • AAP.org
  • AAP News
  • Visit AAP News on Facebook
  • Follow AAP News on Twitter
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics