Even though communities of color face systemic barriers to health, federal and local governments are still missing race and ethnicity data for 37% of all cases. 

WASHINGTON, DC–Today, the Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights released a new report that reveals that key stakeholders are still missing federal race and ethnicity data for 37% of all COVID-19 cases as of this April, over two years into the pandemic. This data gap endures despite legislation mandating the collection of COVID-19 race and ethnicity data, administrative support from the CDC for data collection efforts, and an Executive Order, titled Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery, issued by President Biden. 

The Lawyers’ Committee conducted a 50-state survey which analyzed the types of data published by states. The survey found that no two states publish the same COVID-19 demographic data. The missing race and ethnicity data is critical in understanding why communities of color who have long faced a variety of health disparities are still disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and how best to help. 

“It’s unacceptable that more than two years into the pandemic, we still don’t have usable, demographic data on how COVID-19 is impacting different racial groups. People of color and other systematically marginalized populations face a multitude of health barriers. We need our lawmakers to address this gross inequity–and that starts with having accurate, regularly updated data on the health status of different communities.” said Pilar Whitaker, Counsel.

The survey also found that both state and federal data collection systems have not published disaggregated racial and ethnic data–or data that divides into subgroups, rather than consolidated into broad categories that do not distinguish between diverse populations who experience unique and varying social determinants of health–for COVID-19 testing rates, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions.

In the report, The Lawyers’ Committee outlines strategies for policymakers to enhance their data collection strategies to ensure that their responses to the current health crisis address persistent health inequities, including larger and more stratified samples, surveys administered in more languages, greater outreach efforts to hard-to- contact households, more diverse and culturally competent staff, and more sophisticated coding to integrate previously unrelated data. These recommendations include:

• Congress to authorize funds to provide testing, vaccination, and treatment for uninsured people.
• The Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on COVID-19 data collection tools and direct health care entities to collect and disaggregate COVID-19 data by race and ethnicity.
• Local public health authorities provide raw COVID-19 data that would allow non-state-affiliated organizations to create their own databases and presentations of data that may better reach their relevant communities.
• Public health authorities, health care providers, hospitals, vaccine providers and laboratories to upgrade outdated health information technology systems throughout the entire data supply chain.

“There has been no concerted effort to understand–let alone address–how we can target COVID-19 aid and care to specific populations. These communities are still disproportionately suffering as other Americans try to revert to normalcy. With proper data, local and federal officials can craft policies that help those who have been most impacted by this pandemic.” said Whitaker.

The full report can be found at this link.

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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.

Even though communities of color face systemic barriers to health, federal and local governments are still missing race and ethnicity data for 37% of all cases. 

WASHINGTON, DC–Today, the Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights released a new report that reveals that key stakeholders are still missing federal race and ethnicity data for 37% of all COVID-19 cases as of this April, over two years into the pandemic. This data gap endures despite legislation mandating the collection of COVID-19 race and ethnicity data, administrative support from the CDC for data collection efforts, and an Executive Order, titled Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery, issued by President Biden. 

The Lawyers’ Committee conducted a 50-state survey which analyzed the types of data published by states. The survey found that no two states publish the same COVID-19 demographic data. The missing race and ethnicity data is critical in understanding why communities of color who have long faced a variety of health disparities are still disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and how best to help. 

“It’s unacceptable that more than two years into the pandemic, we still don’t have usable, demographic data on how COVID-19 is impacting different racial groups. People of color and other systematically marginalized populations face a multitude of health barriers. We need our lawmakers to address this gross inequity–and that starts with having accurate, regularly updated data on the health status of different communities.” said Pilar Whitaker, Counsel.

The survey also found that both state and federal data collection systems have not published disaggregated racial and ethnic data–or data that divides into subgroups, rather than consolidated into broad categories that do not distinguish between diverse populations who experience unique and varying social determinants of health–for COVID-19 testing rates, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions.

In the report, The Lawyers’ Committee outlines strategies for policymakers to enhance their data collection strategies to ensure that their responses to the current health crisis address persistent health inequities, including larger and more stratified samples, surveys administered in more languages, greater outreach efforts to hard-to- contact households, more diverse and culturally competent staff, and more sophisticated coding to integrate previously unrelated data. These recommendations include:

• Congress to authorize funds to provide testing, vaccination, and treatment for uninsured people.
• The Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on COVID-19 data collection tools and direct health care entities to collect and disaggregate COVID-19 data by race and ethnicity.
• Local public health authorities provide raw COVID-19 data that would allow non-state-affiliated organizations to create their own databases and presentations of data that may better reach their relevant communities.
• Public health authorities, health care providers, hospitals, vaccine providers and laboratories to upgrade outdated health information technology systems throughout the entire data supply chain.

“There has been no concerted effort to understand–let alone address–how we can target COVID-19 aid and care to specific populations. These communities are still disproportionately suffering as other Americans try to revert to normalcy. With proper data, local and federal officials can craft policies that help those who have been most impacted by this pandemic.” said Whitaker.

The full report can be found at this link.

###

About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.