Why Are Some Lives Valued More Than Others in Healthcare?

At SIG, our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is not just a principle; it’s a practice. As part of our ongoing EDI initiatives, we recently hosted a Race Workshop in June focused on raising awareness of Sickle Cell Anaemia. However, the conversation naturally expanded to a broader and more urgent issue: health inequalities.

Sickle Cell Anaemia, a genetic condition that disproportionately affects communities of colour, often receives significantly less attention and funding than comparable conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis, which predominantly affects white communities. In the UK, Cystic Fibrosis gets nearly four times more funding than Sickle Cell Anaemia. This stark contrast is just one example of the systemic health inequalities that persist across our healthcare system.

These disparities are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a wider, deeply embedded issue. Health inequalities are systemic, and crucially, they are avoidable. Even in times of economic strain, we must not accept them as inevitable.

At SIG and among our partner agencies, we see firsthand how these inequalities manifest. From the chronic underfunding of support services to the rising cost of living, insecure housing, and the inconsistent quality of accommodation provided by private landlords, the root causes are complex and interconnected.

We also encounter communities where poor dietary habits, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking are not just lifestyle choices; they are survival mechanisms. These behaviours are often the result of limited access to therapeutic alternatives and preventative healthcare.

To address these challenges, we must move beyond rhetoric and towards meaningful, evidence-based action. This means strengthening partnerships between the voluntary sector and the NHS, prioritising preventative care and culturally competent health education, listening to and acting on feedback from service users and residents, and ensuring accountability in allocating and delivering health resources.

We believe that real change is only possible through collaboration. We invite fellow organisations, healthcare providers, policymakers, and community leaders to join us in tackling health inequalities head-on.

As Norman Alcide, SIG’s EDI Programme Manager, says, “Our EDI Programme ensures SIG services are part of collaborative resistance campaigns against health inequalities. We seek to challenge this social construct by safeguarding service RPs from systemic discrimination, particularly based on their Protected Characteristics. This renders them well placed to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.”

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