BUFFALO, N.Y. — A conference called "Igniting Hope: Building a Just Community with a Culture of Health and Equity" will look at what some call a health crisis based on your zip code.
Dr. Kenyani Davis, a physician with UBMD Internal Medicine and the assistant medical director for Millennium Collaborative Care said, "regardless of access, regardless of primary care, regardless of hospitals, if you live in a particular zip code here in Buffalo New York, that is a direct correlation for your health, that's what's startling."
According to a report from 2015 based on statistics gathered from health records in Erie County and New York State, "African-Americans living in the 14204, 14206, 14211, 14212 or 14215 zip code, are almost three times as likely to die prematurely as a white person living in a different zip code."
Inner city African-Americans have higher rates of serious and chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Black children are more often hospitalized for asthma. Infant mortality among Blacks is three times that of whites "In Erie County, out of 10,000, 11.1 percent of infants will die, that statistic is higher than some developing countries," said Dr. Davis.
And when it comes to breast cancer, Dr. Davis said "we're (African-Americans) more likely to die from breast cancer and it doesn't matter about health insurance or education, we are more likely to die."
Project Rainfall will open up in a couple of years on East Delavan in a zip code with a healthcare disparity. It is a food system social enterprise in Buffalo's Northland Corridor, was spearheaded by NeuWater and Associates chief executive Rita Hubbard-Robinson.
"A third of the building is going to be a farmers market that is going to be open everyday. The rest of the building will be used to grow fruits and vegetables. We have issues about access to foods, healthy food in particular on the eastside and we see that as a root cause for people suffering from chronic conditions," Robinson said.
"Igniting Hope – Building a Just Community with a Culture of Health and Equity" will be held on Saturday, April 28 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, at 955 Main Street, Buffalo. It is free. Click here to register for free or you can just walk in on Saturday.