All articles tagged with #health equity
The US liver transplant system updated its MELD 3.0 scoring model in 2023 to address a sex bias that disadvantaged women. While the new model adds points for female candidates to account for lower muscle mass, early data shows the gains are temporary. Experts argue that the core issue is not just the score, but the physical size of the organs, which often does not fit smaller female recipients.
New research highlights exercise as a cost-effective tool to improve cancer outcomes and cognitive health, yet access remains limited by insurance gaps and socioeconomic barriers.
A new study reveals that over 1.1 million Americans were prescribed GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic without an FDA-approved condition between 2021 and 2025. While usage is rising rapidly, the risk-benefit profile for these patients remains unclear, and access is skewed toward wealthier, white women.
A new study reveals that off-label prescriptions for GLP-1 receptor agonists have increased 15-fold in the US since 2021, reaching over 1.1 million adults without a documented diagnosis of diabetes or qualifying obesity. While these drugs are increasingly used for weight management, the user base is disproportionately female, White, and privately insured, with a six-fold higher likelihood of having a history of eating disorders.
The Trump administration’s cancellation of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant has forced researchers at the University of Pittsburgh to halt an Alzheimer’s disease study without sharing results with 600 participants. The grant, which examined cognitive decline in two low-income, majority Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, was terminated in August with only 90 days to close, despite the study requiring months for expert adjudication of cognitive tests. This abrupt end prevents participants from receiving promised diagnoses, potentially delaying critical early treatment for dementia. The move is part of a broader pattern of federal research cuts targeting health equity studies, with over 5,700 NIH grants disrupted since 2025. Researchers and legal advocates argue the cancellation constitutes censorship of research addressing racial disparities, as Black Americans face higher Alzheimer’s rates but are underrepresented in clinical trials. The University of Pittsburgh is appealing the decision, while the administration claims the study lacked measurable variables aligned with agency priorities.
Harold P. Freeman, a renowned oncology surgeon who died on August 11 at age 93, created a landmark patient navigation program at Harlem Hospital Center. His initiative, designed to help low-income Black women overcome bureaucratic barriers to breast cancer treatment, became a global model for healthcare access. Freeman’s work directly influenced the 2005 federal Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act, which allocated $25 million for similar programs. In 2024, Medicare began reimbursing providers for navigation services related to cancer and other high-risk conditions, cementing the legacy of his early advocacy for equitable care.
Fierce 50 of 2026 honors a diverse group of leaders and organizations in healthcare, pharma and biotech who close the gap between cutting-edge science and real-world patient access, recognizing efforts from cancer and rare diseases to public health outreach and reducing medical debt.
The WHO projects global cancer cases could rise from about 21 million in 2024 to 35 million per year by 2050, with the heaviest impact in low-income countries where surveillance and treatment are limited; aging and obesity will drive rises, though gains in tobacco control and HPV vaccination show progress and prevention remains uneven.
WHO warns that despite medical progress, cancer outcomes remain unequally distributed: about 20.6 million new cases and 10 million deaths annually, with survival far higher in high-income countries than in poorer ones; many low- and middle-income countries lack access to essential drugs and radiotherapy, and up to 90% of patients abandon treatment due to cost. Projections put cases near 35 million by 2050. Yet progress exists in cervical cancer elimination efforts and reduced tobacco use, underscoring the need for sustained investment in prevention, diagnosis and care to close the gap.
A Louisiana man became the state’s first functionally cured sickle cell patient via 2023 FDA-approved gene therapies Casgevy and Lyfgenia; while these treatments hold promise for tens of thousands who are Black or African American, their high cost (around $2–$3 million) and limited treatment centers create access barriers, highlighting the need for broader insurance coverage, expanded care in underserved communities, and thorough discussion of risks like infertility and long‑term cancer risk.
MLK Community Healthcare launched a Diabetes Management Center of Excellence with a modest grant, building a multidisciplinary support network and community services for high-risk diabetes patients. Four years in, most patients show improved blood sugar and blood pressure, appointment adherence increased, and diabetic-related amputations dropped to near zero, illustrating how targeted investment can deliver equity-based, best-practice care in South Los Angeles. The program's funding ends next year, with talks of partnerships to continue the model.
A Lancet projection across 35 developed nations suggests South Korean women could become the first population to average life expectancy above 90 by 2030, surpassing Japan. The prediction—not guaranteed—rests on near-universal healthcare, equity in health gains, and favorable trends in obesity and blood pressure; the United States trails due to unequal access. The 90-year threshold is plausible (about 57% probability) with a 90% chance of exceeding 86.7 years. If realized, it would reshape retirement, elder care, and healthcare policy amid rapid aging in Korea.
At the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 20, 2026, WHO and prize foundations honored six laureates from Mali, Thailand, France, Singapore, Bangladesh and Egypt for strengthening primary health care, expanding access to essential services and reducing inequities, including the Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health; the awards also mark 20 years since Dr Lee Jong-wook’s death.
Africa carries about a quarter of the global disease burden and around 20% of the population, yet its communities are underrepresented in leading randomized trials. An analysis of 2,472 trials from 2019–2024 found only 3.9% conducted exclusively in Africa, with just 0.6% of major cardiovascular trials Africa-only. This underrepresentation undermines external validity and the applicability of results to African populations, while infectious diseases still dominate Africa-based research even as non-communicable diseases rise. The piece argues for Africa-led research, ring-fenced funding, regional trial networks, and better reporting of trial diversity to align global medical knowledge with Africa’s health reality.
PrEP could end HIV in the United States, but access remains uneven due to insurance gaps, provider knowledge gaps, stigma, and racial/geographic disparities; telemedicine and long-acting injections are expanding reach, but affordability and policy changes—like funding cuts to HIV prevention—could threaten progress.