Muntu Davis

COVID-19 is shedding a disturbing light on existing health disparities among African Americans in the County of Los Angeles; disparities rooted in a history of limited access to affordable housing, nutritious foods, and primary health care. Living under such conditions can make it harder to prevent and control chronic conditions, like high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease and diabetes, which increases our risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19.

by Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, and Jeffrey Duchin, MD This post is published with permission from Big Cities Health Coalition. Visit Big Cities Health Coalition and the Front Lines Blog for more information about the work they’re doing to improve population health. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 1,200 confirmed cases of measles in 2019, the most in any year since 1992.

We all know that home is where the heart is. But it’s also where our health starts. When we stabilize the rising costs of housing for renters and homeowners in the Bay Area through protecting communities, preserving and producing more housing, we will improve the health of our region.