NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Health disparities have been around for a long time, and the COVID-19 pandemic has put them in the spotlight. Future events will focus on this issue.

The Louisiana Urban League and Ochsner Health have teamed up to host what has been dubbed the “Big Health Event.” It takes place on September 17th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Dr. Yvens Laborde is Ochsner’s Medical Director of Global Health Education and Public Health.

“We want to change the paradigm,” Laborde said. “Obviously, COVID has made it incredibly clear just how big the disparities are, especially in terms of adverse health impacts on the African-American population.”

Tyronne Walker is Vice President of the Louisiana Urban League.

“Health disparities mean that in our state, African Americans are attracting disease and dying faster than whites. But the good news is that we can do something. That’s what big health events are all about,” he said.

“Ochsner Health wants to take that on directly, and one of the ways it needs to do that is by recognizing it and understanding the barriers that really create these disparities. “Because they don’t arise out of a vacuum, they’re long and historical. The foundations and processes of why things came to be the way they are, they don’t happen by chance,” Laborde said.

Access to healthcare is seen as a barrier for some of the Black and Brown communities.

“One of the structural barriers that African Americans and other underserved and resource-poor communities have is a barrier to access to care and a matter of equity.” said Labode.

Several important medical tests will be available at the event.

“In terms of screening, it will be free, so we will prioritize high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, prioritize lungs, breast cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, cancer screening,” Labode said.

He said Louisiana ranks low on health-related indicators.

“As a state, we are ranked 50th out of 50 states according to America’s Health Rankings, an annual analysis of the country’s health status. , meaning we are the most unhealthy state,” Labode said. “And we can really quantify it in terms of early-onset morbidity, mortality, disease burden, economic production loss and psychological burden.”

Areas such as social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behavior and health status are considered when determining rankings.

“Anyone who lives in Louisiana, regardless of race or ethnicity, that aside, it’s a tag we all wear. If you’re from anywhere in the U.S., it’s the least healthy state associated with the overall health of the country, and that’s reflected in everyone,” Laborde said.

The event also helps medical professionals learn from the community, he says.

“We create spaces where people feel welcome, they have experts, they have other opportunities to understand, and we have the opportunity to learn from them. The ultimate inequality is everyone’s problem because we are all adversely affected,” said Laborde.

Health problems also appear in children.

“Many people understand that too often Louisiana ranks last in health indicators of any kind. We’ve released reports that no, but we rank last in terms of health outcomes for children,” Walker said.

The event will feature activities for children and seniors.

“This is where we attend our turbocharged health expo and meet the Essence Empowerment Zone. We are summarizing the experience,” said Walker.

Children’s activities are also organized.

“To stimulate young brains, the earlier you get STEM and stimulation, the more likely you are to pursue academic pursuits and other things of that nature,” said Laborde. “We know that one of the key determinants of health status is education level, which is why he ranks as one of the states with the highest percentage of high school seniors and college graduates not graduating. It is no coincidence that it is being done.”

Attendees also get tips on how to cook healthier.

“Some of the best African-American chefs in our city gave demos on health, how we as New Orleans can cook our favorite meals we all enjoy, and how we can make them better.” We teach people how they can make it in a healthier way,” said Walker.. FOX 8 is one of our partners at the event.

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