Structural racism is a fundamental cause and driver of ethnic disparities in health

That structural racism is an important factor in ethnic disparities in health will come as no surprise to anyone who has looked at the evidence. Several decades of research clearly show that racism in all its forms—in particular, structural racism—is a fundamental cause of ethnic differences in socioeconomic status, adverse health outcomes, and inequities in health.1

The much delayed UK government report on race disparities has devoted 30 pages to disparities in health. The report claims that “for many key health outcomes, including life expectancy and overall mortality, ethnic minority groups have better outcomes than the white population.” It further claims that “genetic risk factors” along with cultural and behavioural factors have led to the disparities seen during the covid-19 pandemic.

The report’s section on health claims to undo several decades of irrefutable peer reviewed research evidence on ethnic disparities, previous governments’ reports, and independent reviews all reaching similar conclusions: ethnic minorities have …