Dear Closing the Health Gap Community:

The latest findings from the World Health Organization highlight a truth we at the Center for Closing the Health Gap have always embraced: our health is influenced by much more than just our genes or the healthcare we receive. The conditions in which we live, such as the quality of our housing, education, and job opportunities, play a crucial role in determining our overall well-being and lifespan. Shockingly, these social determinants can shorten life expectancy by decades, even in affluent countries like ours.

In our own Greater Cincinnati community, we see firsthand how these global challenges reflect in our neighborhoods, marked by significant disparities that we cannot afford to overlook. This is why at Closing the Health Gap, we are committed to spearheading initiatives rooted in the community to tackle these wide-ranging issues. 

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy week ahead, filled with community spirit and collective action towards a brighter future! 

Renee Mahaffey Harris

President & CEO

WHO Report: Health Inequities are Shortening Lives by Decades

A new global report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that the underlying causes of ill health often stem from factors beyond the healthcare, and may include lack of quality housing, education and job opportunities. The report on social determinants of health equity shows that such determinants can be responsible for a dramatic reduction of healthy life expectancy – sometimes by decades – in high- and low-income countries alike.

For example, the report shows that people in the country with the lowest life expectancy will, on average, live 33 years shorter than those born in the country with the highest life expectancy. The social determinants of health equity can influence people’s health outcomes more than genetic influences or access to health care.

“Our world is an unequal one. Where we are born, grow, live, work and age significantly influences our health and well-being,” noted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, MD, PhD.

Men more likely to suffer and die from these 3 common illnesses, reveals study: Here are top findings

A new study revealed that men are more at risk of death from certain chronic medical conditions. The UK-based research found that the three most common illnesses affecting males are hypertension, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.

The research published in the journal PLOS Medicine found that men were more likely to be exposed to risk factor - such as smoking, while women were more likely to be obese and engage in unsafe sex.  According to the research experts, the study underscores sex-based differences at each step of the "health pathway." The key observations of the report align the developments from previous studies that suggest that fewer men opt for preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services. Notably, women are more likely to get themselves screened, diagnosed and seek treatment in cases such as HIV and COVID-19.

How These Black Health Founders Are Closing the Wellness Gap

When the system fails, Black visionaries build lifelines. In a country where Black communities continue to face staggering health disparities — from soaring heart disease rates to under-diagnosed infections — a new wave of Black founders is stepping up to create solutions. Through innovative models rooted in cultural competency, entrepreneurship, and survival, they are addressing the gaps that traditional healthcare often leaves behind.

Among them are Clifford W. Knights II and Steve Vixamar, co-founders of HealthyMD, a mobile-first health platform, and Chris Williams, founder of Heart, Body & Soul, Inc., a Brooklyn-based nonprofit leading a significant charge in Black men’s health advocacy. Their mission: not just to build brands, but to save lives.

Good Morning America: Strokes on the rise in young people

ABC News' Dr. Tara Narula shares what to know as doctors report seeing more strokes in patients under 45.