Boston Mayor Unveils Health Equity Agenda to Improve Racial Disparities in Life Expectancy

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a new health equity agenda Wednesday aimed at improving life expectancy and reducing racial health disparities across the city of Boston.

The Live Long and Well agenda, which is the first of its kind, includes a partnership between the city of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission and Boston Community Health Collaborative. Atrius Health Equity Foundation invested $10 million into the project.

“Creating opportunities so that every resident has access to healthy food, livable communities, and access to healthcare are important to ensuring every resident feels at home in Boston,” said Wu.

Last year, the BPHC found that there were dramatic differences in life expectancy among neighborhoods, including a 23-year difference in life expectancy between people living in Back Bay and residents of Nubian Square in Roxbury just two miles away.

New data from the BPHC shows that though life expectancy has generally improved after the pandemic, there are still racial disparities.

“Boston is a city that is rich with high quality health care resources. Yet, we have long-standing gaps in life expectancy and other health outcomes by race, ethnicity and neighborhood,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, the executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission.

The agenda focuses on three main causes of premature death in Boston: cardiometabolic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, cancer and accidental drug overdoses.

The groups identified cardiometabolic disease as the first priority.

Diseases related to the heart and metabolism disproportionately affect communities of color, according to the BPHC. Their 2023 Health of Boston report found that Black residents died of heart disease at a 37% higher rate and died of diabetes at a 220% higher rate compared to white residents.

The BPHC said that it is writing a report about the agenda that is expected to be published later this year. The partner groups also stated that they are working on a request for proposals, and organizations will be able to apply as early as this fall.

Updates are available at boston.gov/live-long

Article by Michelle Amponsah