Martin Luther King Jrs Legacy on Health Equity Through the Eyes of a Black African Doctor – Global Issues
WASHINGTON DC, Jan 20 (IPS) – Every year, January 20 is celebrated as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement who fought for equality and justice, especially for Black people, through peaceful protests and powerful speeches. This day is celebrated every year on the third Monday of January, around his birthday on January 15. It is a time to remember his work, reflect on his message of justice and non-violence, and participate in acts of service to help others in our communities. .
As an advocate for health equity around the world, MLK Day is especially important to me as a day to remember him as a champion of health equity. He rightly pointed out health inequality as the worst form of social injustice. In his 1966 speech at the Second National Convention of the Medical Committee on Civil Rights, MLK said, “Of all the forms of inequality, health injustice is the most appalling and inhuman”. I couldn’t agree more.
Growing up in Nigeria as a high school student in the 1980s, I was introduced to MLK by reading issues of Ebony magazine. I remember fondly how I used to walk to roadside booksellers to buy old copies of this magazine.
These magazines introduced me to the social justice debates of Black America, including the works of MLK and Thurgood Marshall. It was an opportunity to connect spiritually with Africans in foreign countries – Black Americans – and their struggles. What struck me most as a child was MLK’s nonviolent demand for racial justice.
After graduating from high school, I went to medical school in Nigeria to begin my training as a doctor. By the time I graduated in 1998, it was clear to me that patients’ rights must be respected in healthcare delivery. As healthcare professionals, we must prioritize preventive care while providing the care our patients need.
At that time, I didn’t know the right name for my beliefs. Over the decades in my work in global health, I came to understand the name of my beliefs: health equity. In 2018, I presented my first TEDx talk entitled “Without Life We Are Nothing”. This is why MLK’s assertion that health injustice is the worst form of inequality resonates deeply with me. Health care – or the lack of it – is a matter of life and death.
Globally, health inequalities are widespread and largely preventable. Neglected Tropical Diseases, maternal mortality, and malnutrition clearly illustrate the global health injustices that MLK foresaw.
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Want to see a perfect example of diseases that disproportionately affect the poor? Look no further than Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). These diseases affect 1.6 billion people worldwide, especially in Africa and Asia. Many people do not realize that some, like those mentioned in the Bible, are still around today.
A prime example is leprosy – a slow-growing bacterial disease that affects the skin, nerves, and sometimes the eyes and nose. Surprisingly, in 2024, the US saw a significant increase in leprosy numbers, especially in the southeast region, with central Florida identified as a hot spot.
The data shows that about 34% of new cases reported between 2015 and 2020 were found locally. Without treatment, leprosy causes severe scarring and possible disability. Fortunately, leprosy is completely curable with antibiotics if caught early.
Other NTDs include river blindness, trachoma, and noma. Noma, in particular, is heartbreaking – it mostly attacks children between the ages of six who are malnourished, live in unsanitary conditions, or have weak immune systems.
Noma starts as an ulcer in the mouth but can destroy the facial tissues, leaving a severe disability if left untreated. Proper hygiene, nutrition, and health care can prevent noma, but it is still a reality in the poorest parts of the world.
Death of mother
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) takes the theme of safe motherhood with its statement: “No woman should die while giving life”. Sadly, for many women in low- and middle-income countries, even rich countries, this is not the case.
In Nigeria alone, more than 80,000 women die every year during pregnancy, childbirth, or soon after. A professor once likened Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate to filling a commercial airliner with pregnant women every day and letting it crash – a horrific image. This gross injustice must not be allowed to continue.
In contrast, the United States of America has a high maternal mortality rate compared to other wealthy countries, largely due to the disproportionately high maternal mortality rate among black women. Black women are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth than White women, regardless of their level of education or socioeconomic status.
Solutions to prevent maternal mortality are not rocket science. Prenatal care should identify high-risk pregnancies, and women need to receive adequate nutrition to reduce the risks of postpartum hemorrhage, which is the leading cause of maternal death. With proper planning and preparation, including access to surgical and emergency rooms, these deaths are preventable. Addressing these gaps can save many lives.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a double-edged sword – it manifests as undernourishment (not having enough nutrients) or undernourishment (overeating). Both types can be fatal, especially in children under the age of five. Malnourished children fail to develop properly (waste) and have impaired brain development, leading to injuries.
Globally, 22% of children are disabled, and 90% of cases occur in Africa and Asia. On the other hand, overeating causes obesity, which increases the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.
The solutions are simple: Support mothers to exclusively breastfeed for six months, educate communities about using affordable, local food to prepare nutritious meals, and invest in school feeding programs. These measures will significantly reduce the amount of malnutrition.
MLK’s vision of health justice is shaping my global health journey. On MLK Day, let’s think about health injustice around the world and commit to ending it. Identify one health problem that interests you and take meaningful action to address it.
MLK was right – health injustice is the worst form of inequality because without health we have nothing.
Happy MLK Day!
Dr. Ifeanyi M. Nsoforpublic health practitioner, global health equity advocate and behavioral science researcher, serves on the Global Fellows Advisory Board at the Atlantic Institute, Oxford, United Kingdom. You can follow @Ifeanyi Nsofor, MD on LinkedIn
© Inter Press Service (2025) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
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