We have explained the unfortunate standing of women’s health care in Detroit in the 20th century and beyond, and how race and class intersect and are deciding forces in health care accessibility. Health care in the city is illustrated by limited care options and reflected by poorer health of its citizens, particularly its women. While Detroit has historically lacked the care it needs to fully support its citizens, we hope to see positive changes in the city’s future.

 

This hope for positive change is embodied in Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for governor of Michigan in 2018. Dr. El-Sayed is the former director of the Detroit Health Department and places importance on the issue of health. He believes that “creating a viable public healthcare program for Michigan is crucial to ensuring that we can care for our families.” He believes in universal health care, but also acknowledges that more needs to be done beyond insurance - unfit and inaccessible facilities still contribute to disparities.

 

“But insurance coverage is only the first step. Public health services across the state are severely underfunded, and as a result, many residents struggle with preventable diseases even when they are insured. We must strengthen our public health systems to ensure access to crucial services, including preventive care, contraceptive care, and mental health care.”

 

These are very important sentiments, and we can see that Dr. El-Sayed is effective in implementing real plans and changes, too. As director of the Detroit Health Department, he enrolled thousands in Obamacare and created the SisterFriends program to reduce infant mortality (an indicator of general health) and support and guide pregnant teens. We can deduce that Dr. El-Sayed is passionate about health issues that affect Detroit and we can hope that his spirit is reflective of the path that public health will follow in Detroit in the future.

 

The effects of racial segregation and systematic poverty cannot be erased simply through an election or perhaps even through well-meaning policy. An early step in correcting Detroit’s public health issues is recognizing that there are issues at all. We hope to have highlighted some of those issues and their roots, and at the very least, shed light on some of the efforts that are going into revitalizing the health of Detroit’s citizens.

 

To go a bit beyond politics, Detroit residents as well as residents outside of the city need to rally behind health initiatives, such as the Healthy Detroit Partnership, in the city and act upon the systematic racism and systemic poverty that have had historical roles in Detroit. Those who come from positions of privilege and power also have a responsibility to build Detroit’s health system up, perhaps through legislative reform, community involvement and outreach, or other supportive measures, to better support the city’s future generations and its women.