BLACK DOCTORS BOOST BLACK LIFE EXPECTANCY?

On average, life expectancy of Black people in America is 70 years old. That’s six years shorter than White Americans, according to the National Centre for Health Statistics. Many factors have been blamed, and one is a lack of Black primary care doctors.

A study shows when the number of Black doctors goes up in a community, so does the life expectancy of Black people living there. In this clip, one of the co-founders of the report runs through the correlation.

Whatever the causes, it’s clear more doctors are needed. Black people make up around 12 per cent of America’s population and yet represent only six per cent of the physician workforce.

Have a listen to this interview on PBS news with Dr Michael Dill, from the Association of American Medical Colleges. He has a few ideas on what can be done to improve the situation. Do you agree with him? Maybe you’ve got some suggestions of your own?