How many more Black mothers must die during childbirth before the world takes notice?
How many more Black children must perish from malnutrition, even in an era of scientific breakthroughs?
Why are Black bodies still disproportionately carrying the weight of disease, suffering, and medical neglect?
These are not abstract questions. They are urgent, life-and-death realities that have persisted for generations. This article delves into the heartbreaking truth behind why Black people continue to die from preventable diseases, despite advancements in modern medicine. We will examine the systemic failures, historical injustices, and global indifference that contribute to these devastating health inequities. By shedding light on the stark statistics and personal stories, we aim to ignite a movement towards change and demand accountability for the health and well-being of Black communities worldwide.
The Numbers That Should Haunt Us All
If Black health truly mattered, would these numbers still exist?
- 830 women die every single day due to pregnancy and childbirth complications, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 70% of those deaths. This means that by the time you finish reading this article, at least three women will have died unnecessarily.
- Malaria still kills over 600,000 people annually, 95% of them in Africa. Yet, it is a disease that is entirely preventable and treatable. Why does the world accept this as normal?
- In the United States, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. This is not about poverty — Serena Williams, a world-renowned athlete, nearly died during childbirth because doctors ignored her pain. If she was not safe, what do you think happens to the average Black woman?
- Hypertension, diabetes, and stroke kill Black people at higher rates than any other racial group — not because of genetics, but because of structural inequalities in healthcare, housing, and nutrition.
- In Africa, mental health disorders account for 10% of the disease burden, yet less than 1% of healthcare budgets go toward mental health services. A silent crisis is unfolding, but no one is listening.
These are not just statistics. They are lives lost, dreams cut short, and families shattered.
Why Are These Issues Still Relevant?
The problem is not a lack of solutions. It is a lack of political will, economic investment, and, perhaps most damningly, global and local indifference to Black suffering.
A System Designed to Fail Us
The healthcare systems in most African nations were never built to serve the people — they were built as colonial tools of control. Even today, many African governments allocate more resources to repaying foreign debts than to strengthening their healthcare infrastructure. As a result, millions of people are left without access to even the most basic medical services.
In Western countries, Black people continue to face systemic racism in healthcare. Their pain is often underestimated, their symptoms dismissed, and their treatment delayed or denied. Studies have shown that Black patients are less likely to receive adequate pain management compared to white patients, even when presenting with the same conditions. The question remains: how many more Black lives must be lost before medical professionals unlearn their biases and systemic discrimination is eradicated from healthcare systems?
Global Health’s Hypocrisy
Time and again, we have seen the stark contrast in the global response to diseases depending on who is affected. When a health crisis threatens Western nations, vaccines and treatments are developed, approved, and distributed in record time. Yet, when millions in Africa face deadly diseases, the global response is slow, inefficient, and often conditional on economic or political interests.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed this brutal reality. While high-income countries hoarded vaccines, only 28% of Africans were fully vaccinated by the end of 2023, despite the continent having some of the highest case fatality rates. Similarly, life-saving medical breakthroughs — such as cutting-edge cancer treatments — remain largely unavailable or unaffordable for Black populations. The fundamental question remains: who gets to live, and who is deemed expendable?
The Poverty Trap and Social Determinants of Health
Health is not just about hospitals — it is about access to clean water, nutritious food, stable housing, and economic security. In sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of people still lack access to clean drinking water, and nearly 50% live in extreme poverty. These social determinants create a vicious cycle where preventable diseases continue to thrive.
It is hypocritical to promote diabetes prevention when millions cannot afford healthy food. It is meaningless to advocate for mental health awareness when war, displacement, and economic instability leave people with no space to heal. Without addressing these underlying factors, health outcomes for Black communities will continue to lag.
What Must Change?
Enough is enough. We cannot afford to normalize these deaths, nor can we accept the idea that Black suffering is inevitable. Urgent, systemic changes must be made to dismantle the structures that continue to put Black lives at risk.
Healthcare as a Human Right, Not a Privilege
African nations must move away from donor-driven healthcare models that often prioritize external interests over the needs of the people. Governments must commit to achieving universal health coverage so that every person — regardless of wealth — has access to quality medical care. This means investing in public healthcare infrastructure, rather than relying on privatization models that make care unaffordable for the majority. Additionally, accountability mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that healthcare budgets are used effectively and not lost to corruption.
Decolonizing Medicine and Research
For too long, Africa’s health priorities have been dictated by foreign institutions that do not always have the continent’s best interests at heart. It is time for African-led solutions that prioritize the region’s unique healthcare challenges.
African countries must invest in local pharmaceutical manufacturing to reduce reliance on imported medicines and ensure that life-saving drugs are available and affordable. More funding should be allocated to indigenous medical research so that Africa can set its own public health agenda, rather than waiting for global health agencies to determine its priorities. Additionally, we must challenge the Western narratives that depict Africa as helpless. The truth is that African scientists, doctors, and public health experts are already leading groundbreaking solutions — we need to amplify and support their efforts.
Breaking the Silence on Mental Health
Mental illness is not a “Western problem” — it is a human problem. Yet, mental health remains one of the most neglected areas of healthcare in Africa, with governments allocating less than 1% of their budgets to mental health services.
To address this, mental health services must be integrated into primary healthcare, ensuring that conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are treated with the same urgency as malaria or tuberculosis. Societal stigmas surrounding mental health must be dismantled so that people feel safe seeking professional help without fear of discrimination. Governments must also increase funding for mental health programs, recognizing that mental well-being is just as crucial as physical health.
Holding the Global Health Industry Accountable
The global health industry must be held accountable for the ways it perpetuates inequality. Vaccine equity must be enforced, not treated as an act of charity. African nations must take ownership of their healthcare production rather than relying on handouts that come with strings attached.
Pharmaceutical companies must be challenged on their unethical drug pricing practices to ensure that life-saving medications are not priced out of reach for the people who need them most. Additionally, the world must stop treating African lives as expendable, whether in the context of clinical trials, policy decisions, or emergency responses. The selective allocation of resources must end — Black lives must be valued equally, in every part of the world.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The question is no longer ‘why are Black people dying?’ — we know the answers. The question is:
What are we going to do about it?
At Shades of Us, we refuse to let these injustices fade into statistics. We will continue to amplify these issues, challenge systemic failures, and demand accountability.
But we need you. Your voice. Your advocacy. Your refusal to accept a world where Black lives are worth less.
Because this is not just a healthcare issue. It is a human rights issue.
How many more lives must be lost before we act?
The answer should be none.
Join the movement. Speak up. Demand better. Because Black health matters.