Mary Bassett: Why your doctor should care about social justice
玛丽·巴塞特: 你的医生为什么应该在意社会公正
Mary Bassett is fighting what may be the greatest stumbling block to equitable health care in the US: institutional racism. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
of Zimbabwe's national health policy.
是津巴布韦国家健康政策的核心
from a long war of independence
a socialist agenda:
of rural health centers
of the population
from these facilities,
were fully immunized.
to be part of this transformation,
the camaraderie, was palpable.
with brilliant Zimbabweans --
科学家,医生,活动家
to an African independence movement,
public health movement.
in 1985, the year I arrived.
津巴布韦报告了第一例艾滋病。
with AIDS in the early 1980s,
照料过几个艾滋病人
at Harlem Hospital, but --
接受医学培训,但是…
what lay in store for Africa.
会在非洲遇到什么
two percent in my early days there.
感染率大约2%
in the prime of life
朝气蓬勃的年轻人
也因此死亡
set up a clinic.
我和同事开办了一家诊所
and workplace interventions.
the partners of infected men
我们为艾滋病感染人员伴侣
I believed that I was doing my best.
我相信当时我已经竭尽全力
about structural change.
has spoken candidly
曾经坦白地承认
of the UN peacekeeping department.
他是联合国维和部门的领导
I was doing my best,
当时我相信我已经竭尽所能
I could and should have done
the health community unprepared,
Health Organization estimates
have lost their lives to this disease,
remorse and regret
因为没能更早地阻止这一切
as an advocacy or a political one.
医疗知识前去那里的
epidemiology skills.
was to take care of patients
the population patterns of transmission,
the spread of the virus.
populations were at disproportionate risk
感染并死于艾滋病的比例
resembled feudal fiefdoms
was not a moral failure
被感染并不是道德沦丧
to a culture of male superiority,
and to colonialism.
their individual behaviors,
became available in the West,
our most potent weapon
to the public sector across Africa.
治疗是负担不起的
to these life-saving drugs
economic and political systems
that I was a guest in the country,
could even get me kicked out,
early stance on AIDS.
of the patient-doctor relationship.
along the fissures of our society,
patterns of marginalization, exclusion,
gender, sexuality, class and more.
such as Paul Farmer,
例如保罗·法玛尔
organization of our social world,
to those with privilege and power;
suffering, illness -- is violent.
towards doing public health right,
引导公众保健的第一步,
and create real change together.
uncomfortable,
is about racial disparities
to have in this country anymore,
in the United States,
and interpersonal violence
that's death before the age of 65 --
即在65岁之前过世,
for black men than white ones.
the risk of dying related to childbirth
与生育相关的
of death in its first year of life
across the United States.
missing black men across the country.
一千五百万的失踪黑人男性
between the ages of 25 and 54 years
faced by young black men,
这是非常不公平的
under the banner #BlackLivesMatter.
“黑人生命很重要”标语的抗议中
of common medical conditions --
以及持久且奇高的疾病比率,
black lives prematurely.
movement unfolded,
to even use the word "racism"
甚至对“种族主义”一词的使用
every time I've said it.
你大概已经有所感觉
held die-ins in their white coats,
以死抗议生化武器
has largely stood by passively
持续的种族歧视
continues to affect
and precision medicine,
to better tailor treatment,
以更好的设计疗法
to lose sight of the big picture,
使我们不能着眼大局
determines population health,
who is unable to follow medical advice
who is contemplating suicide
to feel that she is responsible
我们的角色
gives our voices great credibility,
让我们的声音更加可信
感到后悔
Health Commissioner,
when you speak out against sexism
当你们为性别歧视,
直言反对之时
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mary Bassett - New York City Health CommissionerMary Bassett is fighting what may be the greatest stumbling block to equitable health care in the US: institutional racism.
Why you should listen
New York City Public Health Commissioner Mary Bassett has been a health activist since her Radcliffe days of volunteering at a Black Panther Clinic. She began her career on the medical faculty at the University of Zimbabwe, a position she held for 17 years. The valuable lessons she learned in Harare, including the development of one of the first HIV awareness programs, gave her a unique perspective in tackling community health challenges for New York City’s diverse populations. She has led the charge to nudge healthier behaviors, including pushing for higher cigarette taxes and banning artificial trans fats in restaurants.
In her current role, she has called for the medical community’s deeper engagement in the #BlackLivesMatter movement and efforts to tackle institutional racism.
Mary Bassett | Speaker | TED.com