UP – the Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement – is highlighting how racial health inequalities are compounded with CP-related health inequalities for people of colour with Cerebral Palsy.
The social media campaign will put a spotlight on key indicators of inequality, such as that Black children are 29% more likely to have cerebral palsy than white children. Research by Durkin et al. shows that socioeconomic status (SES) and perinatal factors are key contributors. Black children are also 52% more likely to develop spastic CP than white children.
The 2022 EthnicInequalities in Healthcare Report reveals ethnic health disparities, including gaps in communication and a lack of interpreting services for women with limited English proficiency, which directly affects maternal and neonatal health outcomes. These gaps particularly impact Black mothers, leading to higher rates of premature births and low birth weights, key contributors to CP.
The campaign will also show how the combination of racial and health inequality affects individual lives, through first person experiences, such as that of UP ambassador Ruthanne Miller.