Joint Organizational Commitment to Anti-Racism and Racial Equity Background

For decades, the World Health Organization and other members of the international public health community have encouraged more of a focus on the social determinants; the conditions in which we live, work, learn and play to enhance our understanding of factors that impact health outcomes. [...] Structural and institutional racism directly impacts the environments in which people exist, plays a critical role in the experiences African American, Latinx, and Native American families have throughout the course of their lives, and is the social determinant most responsible for the racial disparities that exist in our country. [...] (2) We commit our organizations to influence and promote external work and to complete the following actions: • Examine current and new local, state, and federal policies to determine its impact on equity and actively advocate against any policy or program that perpetuates inequity and racial disadvantage. [...] • Engage and partner, with humility and truth, with impacted communities and local organizations to understand and leverage their strengths and work with them to mitigate the impact of systemic racism. [...] The elimination of racism and the resulting inequities that exist in health outcomes, such as increased maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, will require a collective and focused effort.