Mayor Mary Sheffield’s administration says that after hearing from residents it now plans to tackle some of Detroit’s top public health and equity issues, including maternal and infant health, as well as access to food and healthcare, with goal setting starting this year.
The Detroit Health Department on Tuesday, June 23 released its most comprehensive report detailing community health since 2018. At least 6,000 Detroiters weighed in with their top concerns, which includes maternal and infant health, chronic conditions, healthy food access and healthcare access as part of the city’s Community Health Assessment.
“We know that every decision that we make, from housing, to transportation, to parks and economic development ultimately impacts the health and well-being of our residents,” Sheffield said at the June 23 report announcement at the Kemeny Recreation Center in southwest Detroit.
The report focuses on a “health in all” policies approach, which involves partnerships with city departments to advance internal policies promoting public health through economic development, transportation and considerations of accessibility barriers among residents.
Detroit Health Department Director Ali Abazeed said 90% of life expectancy happens out in the community, in what people experience on a day-to-day basis, while 10% happens within “the four walls of a hospital or medical clinic,” and that the policy approach would help tackle accessibility barriers.
“The health outcomes of Detroiters are not inevitable. They’ve been designed by decades — if not longer — of decisions that we have made, people have made, over time. That includes decisions around housing, around transportation, around who gets included and excluded into local economies,” he said.
“So if that hypothesis is true, which is what the health in all policies idea is based on, then it behooves us to take this health in all policies approach, which means, how do we include all parts of city government? How do we include all parts of a local city to improve to play a role in improving the health outcome of Detroiters? That’s fundamentally what this community health assessment is all about, and then also what the community health improvement plan is all about.”
Maternal and infant health
Due to insufficient resources, the city faces maternal and infant health issues driven by racial disparities, according to the city, thus affecting high infant mortality rates. Detroit’s infant mortality rate was at a high of 16.7 per 1,000 live births. As of 2023, those numbers declined to 12.2 per 1,000, which still is high.
The health department has set a goal to solve these issues by Dec 31 of this year by developing policies to improve birthing outcomes that would reduce infant mortality, and working with coalition partners to promote health equity.
The city also plans to reduce transit barriers for mothers and caregivers, boost efforts to expand access to healthy food and breastfeeding support, and help connect adolescents with special needs to a system of care.
Chronic conditions
Systemic barriers, including a lack of trust in healthcare providers and insufficient management of care, coupled with chronic conditions, has contributed to lower life expectancy rates in the city.
The health department’s goal is to solve these barriers by Dec. 31, 2028 by expanding partnerships between the local food system, recreational pathways and healthcare.
The city said it will connect residents to food-related programs and promote physical activity through its green spaces, such as the Joe Louis Greenway. Boosting access to asthma services for adults and children is also how officials plan to reach residents who need resources to reduce asthma triggers.
This also includes educational training on medicines and services to manage asthma, and partnering with local organizations on developing a “health in all” approach to enhance city ordinances related to air pollution.
Heathy food access
Proximity, affordability, a lack of nutrition education and a plethora of unhealthy options have hindered healthy food access, officials said.
By Dec. 31, the city said it plans to partner with urban farmers to connect Detroiters with nearby locally grown food, join response efforts to support community and mutual aid for residents eligible for SNAP benefits, and advocate for funding to prevent food insecurity in “food desert” tracts. As of 2023, at least 54% of Detroiters living below the federal poverty level are SNAP recipients.
The health department said it also plans to promote educational efforts on healthy eating on a budget, preparing and storing produce, and increasing awareness of farmers markets that accept SNAP programs.
Healthcare access
Social and economic barriers prevent access to healthcare among residents. Participants identified proximity to care, gaps in healthcare providers’ understanding of the unique needs of diverse communities, extended wait times, a lack of trust in providers, and challenges navigating insurance as their top concerns.
By Dec. 31, 2027, the city said it plans to host health fairs promoting well-being, deploy mobile health units in neighborhoods for screenings, and provide essential healthcare services to students and families with the Detroit Public Schools Community District Health Hubs.
The city also said it plans to expand mental health and harm reduction training, including Narcan distribution and outreach to residents and businesses, and to facilitate connections to mental health resources.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit releases report with plans to tackle community health issues
Reporting by Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
