Racism Damages Health and Wellbeing and Drives Inequalities in London

Source: UCL Institute of Health Equity Press Release, 1 October 2024

Structural racism affects the health and wellbeing of ethnic minority group communities in
London and contributes to avoidable and unfair inequalities between ethnic groups, finds a new report published by the UCL Institute of Health Equity (IHE).

Structural Racism, Ethnicity and Health Inequalities in London reviews both published and
unpublished reports, materials and research, as well as health and social determinants data. The review was informed by an advisory board and through consultation and collaboration with community groups. It was funded by the Greater London Authority.

The review’s findings highlight how people who are repeatedly exposed to racism during their daily lives, or when using essential services, experience worse physical and mental health.

The report also acknowledges the many new and outstanding e,orts to reduce structural and institutional racism in London, but found the impacts of racism remain starkly evident,
manifesting, particularly, in ethnic inequalities in poverty, housing, employment, pay and career progression.

IHE researchers also highlighted the known and marked inequalities among ethnic groups in maternal and child health and mental illness, alongside experiences with the criminal justice system and healthcare services more widely.

As a result of the findings, the IHE is calling for greater accountability, particularly from leaders, institutions and employers to prevent racism from continuing unchecked and to improve the lives of people who experience it. The review’s approach and recommendations are also relevant to other places across the UK and globally.

Professor Sir Michael Marmot, UCL Institute of Health Equity Director and co-chair of the
review’s advisory board said:

“Racism is a scar on society. Social justice requires that we take the action necessary to deal with it. It is a profound injustice if the conditions for good health are unequally distributed, depending on ethnicity. Especially so, where that unequal distribution results from the evils of racism. Inequalities in the social determinants of health are storing up
health problems for the future.”

Key findings from the review showed that:

• Nearly 70% of Bangladeshi and Pakistani and 52% of Black children are growing up in relative poverty (after housing costs) in London, compared to 26 percent of children in White households. One of the most important drivers of health and wellbeing is income – children who grow up in poverty are less likely to live in decent housing, be able to eat nutritious food, or have places to play or sleep. As a result, their educational attainment and prospects throughout life (such as income and employment) are negatively affected (Department of Work and Pensions, 2019).
• Progress in education does not translate into good employment or income due to
  workplace racism: while many young Londoners from ethnic minority groups are reaching high levels of educational attainment (a result of their own efforts and progress by London schools and staff) this does not translate into good employment or income, manifesting in disturbingly high rates of poverty among many minority ethic groups – 59% of Bangladeshi, 53% of Pakistani and 42% of Black households in London are living in poverty after housing costs (compared to 20% of White households) (GLA, 2020; DWP, 2019).
• Ethnic inequalities are most apparent in employment opportunities and levels of pay:
  unemployment among young people who identified as Black (aged 16-24) are more than double the rate of those who identified as White. Meanwhile, White Gypsy and Travellers have the highest rate of unemployment of any ethnic minority group. Additionally, in London 40% of ethnic minority group workers had reported racism at work in the last five years, and nationwide one third of employers were found to lack Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategies.