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Focus Areas
Focus Areas
Focus Areas
or the Health Equity Innovation Challenge, we encouraged community-based innovators located in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia to submit ideas that aimed to address health conditions that disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities, as well as entrenched factors known to drive disparities.
The goal is to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities by promoting health equity, specifically through locally generated ideas to identify potential solutions that:
- Prevent and Treat Illnesses that Disproportionately Affect Black and Hispanic Communities
- Enhance Equitable Access to Healthcare
- Stimulate Diversity in Science
- Advocate for More Trusted Community-Based Healthcare
Focus Areas
Prevent and Treat Illnesses that Disproportionately Affect Black and Hispanic Communities
· Such as advancing innovative solutions aimed at preventing or addressing health conditions through new screening and diagnostic technology platforms
Enhance Equitable Access to Healthcare
Such as technology solutions that help advance health equity and care for diverse individuals
Stimulate Diversity in Science
Such as solutions that encourage more young Black and Hispanic individuals to pursue careers in STEM and solutions that expand the diversity of the local clinical and research workforce
Advocate for More Trusted Community-Based Healthcare
Such as promoting culturally competent care or addressing bias in clinical care
Areas of Geographic Focus
The Johnson & Johnson Health Equity Innovation Challenge focused on organizations dismantling health inequities within Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia. Solutions driven by the 2021 awardees have the potential to bring significant impact in their local communities and potentially within other communities across the country.
- Chicago
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Chicago
- Black and Hispanic Chicagoans have died in far greater numbers from COVID-19 than other racial/ethnic groups.
Since the pandemic began, Black men and women in Chicago have accounted for 40.2% of COVID-19-related deaths, despite making up just 30% of the city’s population.
Many residents on the south and west sides of Chicago live in healthcare provider and pharmacy “deserts,” with no access to either within a half-mile to mile radius.
- Detroit
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Detroit
- Over 40% of those who have died from COVID-19 in Michigan were Black, although the Black community represents only 14% of the state’s population.
While Black people are more likely than white individuals to suffer from diseases that may exacerbate the impact of COVID-19, Black residents in Detroit are also less likely to have healthcare coverage.
People living in Detroit are 38% less likely to have healthcare coverage than others living in the Tri-County area, and over 78% of Detroit residents identify as Black or African American.
- Los Angeles
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Los Angeles
- Black men and women in Los Angeles County have higher stroke mortality rates than other racial or ethnic groups. Despite a recent decrease, stroke mortality rates for Black men have gotten worse.
In Los Angeles, the COVID-19 mortality rate for Hispanic individuals is nearly triple that of white residents.
Black Californians had the highest rates of new prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer cases, and highest death rates for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer.
- New Orleans
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New Orleans
- As of August 26, 2021, Black New Orleans residents have accounted for 51% of COVID-19 deaths.
Over 28% of Black residents in Louisiana report being in fair or poor general health compared to 19% of those who identify as white and 14% of those who identify as Hispanic.
Black New Orleanians are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, preterm birth, and infant mortality than white New Orleans residents.
- New York City
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New York City
- The death rate from heart disease in Hispanic people is 98 per 100,000 population and 105 per 100,000 population for Black people. For white and Asian people, heart disease death rates are 54 and 45 per 100,000 population, respectively—nearly half that of their Black and Hispanic counterparts.
As of December 2020, Black and Hispanic New Yorkers were more likely than white New Yorkers to test positive for COVID-19.
Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are less likely to have health insurance and adequate access to care and more likely to experience food insecurity, complications with childbirth, chronic health conditions like diabetes and asthma, and premature death.
- Philadelphia
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Philadelphia
- As of April 5, 2021, Black people in Philadelpia made up 47.4% of the COVID-19 hospitalizations despite making up 43.6% of the population compared to 20.6% of white adults hospitalized with COVID-19.
COVID-19 deaths are higher in Black adults (44.3%) than in other racial/ethnic groups.
Hypertension and related illnesses (e.g., kidney disease, heart attack and strokes) impact Black men earlier and more often than other racial/ethnic groups.
In Philadelphia, Latinx/Hispanic populations exhibit some of the highest rates of chronic conditions like asthma and childhood obesity when compared with other racial and ethnic groups as well as not being insured.
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Chicago
- Black and Hispanic Chicagoans have died in far greater numbers from COVID-19 than other racial/ethnic groups.
Since the pandemic began, Black men and women in Chicago have accounted for 40.2% of COVID-19-related deaths, despite making up just 30% of the city’s population.
Many residents on the south and west sides of Chicago live in healthcare provider and pharmacy “deserts,” with no access to either within a half-mile to mile radius.
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Detroit
- Over 40% of those who have died from COVID-19 in Michigan were Black, although the Black community represents only 14% of the state’s population.
While Black people are more likely than white individuals to suffer from diseases that may exacerbate the impact of COVID-19, Black residents in Detroit are also less likely to have healthcare coverage.
People living in Detroit are 38% less likely to have healthcare coverage than others living in the Tri-County area, and over 78% of Detroit residents identify as Black or African American.
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Los Angeles
- Black men and women in Los Angeles County have higher stroke mortality rates than other racial or ethnic groups. Despite a recent decrease, stroke mortality rates for Black men have gotten worse.
In Los Angeles, the COVID-19 mortality rate for Hispanic individuals is nearly triple that of white residents.
Black Californians had the highest rates of new prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer cases, and highest death rates for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer.
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New Orleans
- As of August 26, 2021, Black New Orleans residents have accounted for 51% of COVID-19 deaths.
Over 28% of Black residents in Louisiana report being in fair or poor general health compared to 19% of those who identify as white and 14% of those who identify as Hispanic.
Black New Orleanians are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, preterm birth, and infant mortality than white New Orleans residents.
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New York City
- The death rate from heart disease in Hispanic people is 98 per 100,000 population and 105 per 100,000 population for Black people. For white and Asian people, heart disease death rates are 54 and 45 per 100,000 population, respectively—nearly half that of their Black and Hispanic counterparts.
As of December 2020, Black and Hispanic New Yorkers were more likely than white New Yorkers to test positive for COVID-19.
Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are less likely to have health insurance and adequate access to care and more likely to experience food insecurity, complications with childbirth, chronic health conditions like diabetes and asthma, and premature death.
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Philadelphia
- As of April 5, 2021, Black people in Philadelpia made up 47.4% of the COVID-19 hospitalizations despite making up 43.6% of the population compared to 20.6% of white adults hospitalized with COVID-19.
COVID-19 deaths are higher in Black adults (44.3%) than in other racial/ethnic groups.
Hypertension and related illnesses (e.g., kidney disease, heart attack and strokes) impact Black men earlier and more often than other racial/ethnic groups.
In Philadelphia, Latinx/Hispanic populations exhibit some of the highest rates of chronic conditions like asthma and childhood obesity when compared with other racial and ethnic groups as well as not being insured.
Our Race to Health Equity
Johnson & Johnson is committed to eradicating racial and social injustice as a public health threat by eliminating health inequities for people of color. The company is committing $100 million over the next five years to invest and promote health equity solutions.
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We All Belong
The third annual You Belong: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Impact Review reflects on our diversity, equity and inclusion journey.
