Abstract
WKS 25: Structural Racism and Health Inequities: Comparative Lessons, Auditório B1 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 09:00 - 10:00
This round table workshop, organized by ASPHER members, examines how structural racism shapes health disparities across the USA, Israel, the UK, and Poland, drawing on Jonathan Metzl’s framework of structural competency. The session begins with a short presentation by Metzl, outlining the concept of structural racism in healthcare and its impact on population health. Following this, experts from each country: Nadav Davidovitch (Israel), Alison McCallum (UK), and additional contributors, will discuss how structural racism manifests in their respective health systems, highlighting both shared and unique challenges.
The workshop will compare policy environments, institutional practices, and social determinants that perpetuate racial and ethnic health inequities. By contrasting universal healthcare systems (the UK, Israel, and Poland) with the more fragmented US system, the discussion will illuminate how different structures produce or mitigate inequities among marginalized groups, including African Americans, Palestinians, Roma, migrants, and other populations.
Participants will engage in a facilitated discussion to identify practical lessons and strategies for addressing structural racism in diverse contexts. The session aims to move beyond individual-level interventions, focusing on systemic change and cross-country learning. Expected outcomes include increased awareness of structural drivers of health inequities and actionable insights for policy and practice.
This workshop aligns with the conference theme by advancing understanding of how migration, ethnicity, and race intersect with health, and by fostering dialogue on effective approaches to promote equity in multi-ethnic societies.
The round table will open with a 10-minute presentation by Jonathan Metzl on structural racism and health. Each country expert will then provide a 5-minute overview of structural racism in their national context. This will be followed by a 40-minute moderated discussion, encouraging interaction among panellists and audience members. The session will conclude with practical recommendations and lessons for addressing structural racism in health systems. Audience participation will be encouraged throughout, using targeted questions and open discussion to foster engagement and knowledge exchange.