Black women have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic and rare disease conditions. Research also suggests that Black women are more exposed to stress and worry over issues related to racism, income, and the general needs of their households, which can worsen their susceptibility to chronic health conditions, regardless of income and education.

People of color with rare diseases are being left behind, facing potentially deadly barriers in diagnosis, treatment, and representation in research trials. Though individual rare diseases don’t receive much public attention, roughly 30 million Americans—one in ten—live with a rare disease. Patients with a rare disease must overcome extensive barriers to get an accurate diagnosis or receive quality care. It can take an average of five years to reach a correct diagnosis. Even when a diagnosis is reached, only 10 percent of rare diseases have an FDA-approved treatment. Patients also face difficulties finding a knowledgeable medical professional to monitor their care, as most doctors are not trained in rare diseases, and those who are may practice far from a patient’s home.