Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez: Latino Health Equity amid COVID-19

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez is the Chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences at the the Institute for Health Promotion Research of UT Health San Antonio. A leading health disparities researcher, she launched Salud America! with the mission to inspire people to drive community change for health equity.

Latinos are a rising U.S. powerhouse, but even before the pandemic many faced social and health inequities: Poverty, jobs in the front lines, no health care, unstable housing and transportation, food swamps, exposure to toxins and pollution, experiences of discrimination and a lack of vaccine access. COVID-19 preyed on these risk factors and made them worse.

In March 2020, Dr. Ramirez’s Salud America! team began tackling Latino COVID disparities. They wrote blog and social media posts with culturally relevant news to explore how the pandemic impacted housing, healthcare, and other social issues. They tracked and shared Latino case, death, and hospitalization data. They hosted tweetchats on Twitter and podcast episodes to discuss solutions. They told the stories of Latino heroes who were helping.

According to Salud America! the virus has killed over 100,000 Latinos in the US, and is making life more difficult for many. That is why Dr. Ramirez has worked to raise awareness about social and health disparities and generate action to address them. “We continue to need both immediate focus to ease the coronavirus pandemic and its disproportional impact on Latinos and people of color, as well as long-term strides to address the underlying inequities that are aggravated.” Ramirez said.

Through its award-winning multimedia communications platforms Salud America! has helped more than 200,000 moms and dads, providers, researchers, and community and school leaders push for healthy changes in schools and communities. During the pandemic Dr. Ramirez conceptualized an Action Pack with model emails, policies, and messaging to help advocates get input from local social justice groups and advocates of color, start a conversation with city leaders, and build local support for a resolution to declare racism a public health issue along with a commitment to take action to change policies and practices.

“I hope there is rapidity for the movement to reevaluate existing policy and create new actions and system changes with a lens on achieving racial justice and health equity, where everyone has a fair, just opportunity to live their healthiest lives. It will take all sectors-public, private, business, healthcare, government, schools-all working together and committing to action,” Ramirez said.

While addressing underlying inequities, Ramirez saw Latinos get vaccinated at much lower rates than their peers, so she created the Salud America! Latino COVID-19 Vaccine “Change of Heart” Bilingual Storytelling Campaign to move Latinos from vaccine hesitancy to vaccine confidence.

The campaign uplifts the stories of real Latinos who overcame misinformation, got the vaccine, reconnected with family, and are helping end the pandemic.

“We want our families to be able to get back together, and the best way to achieve what we want is to get the vaccine right when it is available. Vaccines help our bodies become immune to a virus without becoming ill from it and it will make it possible to visit our sisters and brothers, parents, and abuelos and abuelas. And to be able to do our jobs and go to school safely.”

Story by Cliff Despres, Communications Director, Institute for Health Promotion Research, UT Health San Antonio.