Health Disparities

Microscopic image of Ebola virus

Why Africa Still Has Ebola Outbreaks

Kennedy DuBose, Julia Duffy, Sania Farooq, Sucaad Mohamud, and Maggie Sanders

Ebola virus disease outbreaks have occurred periodically in regions of west and sub-Saharan Africa since 1976. By identifying the social and environmental issues surrounding EVD’s continuous resurgence, the world can mount better, more lasting interventions to avoid these detrimental outbreaks.

Black patient checking blood oxygen levels with a pulse oximeter

Black People Are Three Times More Likely to Experience Pulse Oximeter Errors

Susan Dorr Goold, Michael Sjoding, and Thomas Valley

Pulse oximeters can noninvasively measure blood oxygen levels, a vital biomarker for many. But these devices are imperfect and provide inaccurate readings especially for Black patients. Why are these devices flawed, and how can we improve the technology?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reflecting on Dr. King's Legacy and the Field of Public Health

Enrique W. Neblett Jr., PhD

To learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ongoing impact on human health, we asked Enrique Neblett, professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, to share how Dr. King’s legacy informs and inspires his own work in the fields of public health and the social sciences.

A cardboard sign that says

Public Health's Role in Addressing Racism

DuBois Bowman

A new year represents an opportunity for change and growth. This is a critical moment in which our nation has turned its attention to racism and pledged to address long-standing inequities in our society. Those of us in the field of public health can and should be leaders in these efforts.

Food market in Detroit

Emergency Food Security Funding Must Continue

Alek Ostrander and Carly Truett

The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of the nearly 26 million adults in the US struggling to access and afford food. Federal nutrition assistance programs like SNAP help, but additional assistance is needed for those already receiving maximum benefits. And many of these emergency measures should become permanent.

A black mother stands on a beach while holding her infant

Infant Mortality among Black Babies

Utibe Effiong, MPH ’14, Ekemini Hogan, and Obasi Okorie

It’s a painful statistical fact that Black babies die at higher rates than White babies—a fact all the more painful and tragic for those living with the realities of infant mortality. The difference in death rates is shared by developing and developed nations alike. But the trend can and must change.