May 5, 2022 - News
Wayne County trails in health rankings
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Wayne County ranks the lowest among statewide counties when it comes to factors that determine good health, according to a County Health Rankings review measuring well-being.
- Neighboring Oakland County ranks third highest and Washtenaw County ranks first, while Macomb (46) and Wayne (83) lag behind.
Between the lines: The ranking looks at data that influences the length and quality of residents' lives, and then lays out ways policies and leaders can make change.
- Factors taken into account include air pollution, availability of transit, alcohol and tobacco use, housing and safety and rate of children in poverty.
The big picture: Racial health disparities persist and the pandemic exacerbated them.
- "There's still all these other things in the background that are at play that are really impacting people's ability to access high-quality health care," Dr. Kimberly Farrow, president and CEO of Detroit community provider Central City Integrated Health, tells Axios.
- "So why is it happening? Because we haven't effectively addressed the social determinants of health, which strongly play into health outcomes."