Racism is the root cause of ethnic inequalities in health

Racism is the root cause of ethnic inequalities in health According to this briefing, racism is the cause of health inequity, from birth through to adulthood and into later life. It finds that racism is a key driver of ethnic inequalities in health, both directly and indirectly. It has an impact in childhood – with children from ethnic backgrounds being born at a lower birthweight and not hitting developmental milestones, to life-limiting long term illness, and mental illness in adulthood. It also finds that racism leads directly to poorer health through stress or worsening mental health; and indirectly, by exposure to targeted marketing of harmful substances, and toxins in the environment. Race Equality Foundation