Conservative BAME Forum founding member Cllr Shade Adoh, representing Ridgeway West on Buckinghamshire Council alongside working as an NHS nurse has welcomed the news today that charities and community groups across Buckinghamshire can now apply for grant funding for projects that address avoidable and systematic differences in health through the Health Equity Fund.
The grants are funded by Buckinghamshire Council, in partnership with Heart of Bucks. The Health Equity Fund's purpose is to address health inequalities that impact the life expectancy and quality of life for people from ethnic minority groups across Buckinghamshire.
Health inequalities can involve differences such as prevalence of health conditions, access to care, and behavioural risks to health. Some of the ways in which these inequalities can impact on health are evident from national data published by the NHS Race and Health Observatory, including:
- In the UK, Black women are four times more likely than white women to die in pregnancy or childbirth
- In the UK, African-Caribbean men are up to three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men of the same age
- In the UK, Black and Ethnic Minority groups have up to 2x the mortality risk from Covid-19 compared to people from a White British background
Councillor Angela Macpherson, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said:” Covid-19 has widened health inequalities in England by disproportionately affecting those already experiencing health inequalities, especially some people from ethnic minority groups. With this Fund we are aiming to enable not-for–profit groups to deliver projects that directly and specifically address one or more aspects of health inequalities that impact on the life expectancy and quality of life for some people from ethnic minority groups across our county.”
Councillor Shade Adoh said, " With grants of up to £15,000 available for projects for any age group that address the inequalities in mental as well as physical health I hope organisations will apply. They could use these to help improve education and awareness raising as well as advice and guidance. The projects must be delivered and designed primarily for ethnic minority groups."
You can find out more information about the Health Equity Fund, at heartofbucks.org/health-equity-fund-addressing-ethnic-health-inequalities
