Governor names members of racial disparity task force
The new task force will explore why COVID-19 disproportionately impacts African Americans.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Monday announced members of a new task force to explore racial disparities in the COVID-19 infection rates.
Roughly 40% of deaths from COVID-19 in Michigan have been among African Americans though they represent 13.6% of the state’s population.
The lieutenant governor, Garlin Gilchrist, will lead the group. There will be 25 other people on the task force including the state’s Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun.
The task force duties include:
- Finding ways to increase transparency in reporting health data.
- Removing barriers to accessing physical and mental health care.
- Reducing the impact of medical bias in testing and treatment.
- Mitigating environmental and infrastructure factors that create barriers.
- Developing better systems to support long-term economic recovery and physical and mental health care following a pandemic.
