
Chicago tries to close life expectancy gap
A new city campaign aims to close the whopping 11-year life expectancy gap between Black Chicagoans and their non-Black peers.
The big picture: As the city enters an era where its racial makeup is nearly 30% white, 30% Black and 30% Latino, Axios is starting a yearlong series examining racial equity in the city across several metrics from opportunities and perks to health disparities and disadvantages.
Backstory: The life expectancy gap wasn't always this big. In 2010, the disparity between Black and non-Black Chicagoans was 8.4 years.
In 2020, Black life expectancy in Chicago fell below 70 for the first time in decades, driven largely by COVID deaths.
During the pandemic in 2021, the gap peaked at 12.7 years before settling at 11.4 in 2022.
Across all races the average life expectancy is 77 years.
Driving the news: The "Healthy Chicago 2025 Strategic Plan" focuses on the root causes of health inequity including economics, housing and access to health care while zeroing in on the primary drivers of Black mortality, like chronic disease and opioid overdose, and the neighborhoods with the highest rates.
Zoom in: Chicago Department of Public Health is concentrating on these neighborhoods with a life expectancy much lower than the city's 77-year average.
What they're saying:"Preventing premature mortality from chronic diseases (namely heart disease), violence, and opioid overdose offer the most room for progress in reducing the racial life expectancy gap," CDPH commissioner Olusimbo Ige tells Axios.
"Reversing these trends will require consistent, long-term commitment to increase access and uptake of health protective behaviors and resources. We have already seen significant reductions in opioid overdose and violence, and we want to build on these successes."
The cost: While the report doesn't quote a specific cost of the program, it cites the use of hundreds of millions in funds for health-related projects including sports programs, alternative policing, homelessness services, prison re-entry programs and more.
Between the lines: Even before the pandemic, life expectancy in some largely Black neighborhoods was falling, in part, due to opioid deaths. Declines from 2010 to 2019 included:
Englewood: 3.3 years.
East Garfield Park 3.23 years.
Yes, but: COVID accelerated the drop further, seeing life expectancy declines from 2019 to 2020 of 5.84 years in West Garfield Park and 4.2 years in North Lawndale.
The intrigue: While Black communities saw an overall 4.6-year life expectancy drop from 2019 to 2020, Latinos saw the biggest decline of 6.3 years.
Most Black Chicagoans who died of COVID were people 70 years old and older, but at least 50% of Latino COVID deaths were in people aged 40-69, which CDPH attributes largely to a high representation among essential workers.
Here is how CDPH is trying to address the disparity by cause of death:
Chronic disease: Strategies include tobacco prevention and cessation programs through community partnerships.
Using the PlayStreets initiative to increase youth and adult physical activity.
Increasing healthy food access and navigation.
Increasing health literacy and promoting risk reduction resources.
Violence prevention: Strategies include "a proactive 2025 summer violence prevention plan."
Investing in community greenspace by cleaning vacant lots and promoting tree plantings.
Hospital-based violence interventions.
Opioid overdose reductions: Strategies include expanding access to treatment and recovery services and making overdose reversing drug Naloxone more available.
Surprising stat: In 2020, the opioid-related overdose death rate among Black males aged 45-64 years was six times higher than the rate among White males of the same age group.
Infectious disease: Strategies include modernizing public health surveillance systems and approaches to enhance rapid response.
Identifying highest-risk community areas.
Tailoring vaccine messaging for communities of color.
Promoting the uptake of the HIV services.
Infant and maternal health: Strategies include hyperlocal outreach to promote safe sleep practices.
Understanding barriers to prenatal care and creating a media campaign for improvement.
Modernizing the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
Mental health: Strategies include improving the city's Mental Health Equity Network and Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program.
Developing "a housing to recovery continuum of care" for unhoused people and those with behavioral health conditions.
Federal effect: Ige acknowledges that Trump administration policies restricting funding for for equity-based work could affect federal support for the plan, but says, CDPH "intends to deploy programs and resources to serve the needs of Chicagoans with a priority on the people and places most impacted by adverse health outcomes."
What's next: CDPH says it should have updated life expectancy numbers this spring.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Looser gun laws tied to thousands more US child shooting deaths
US states that loosened their gun laws following a landmark court ruling saw thousands more childhood firearm deaths than they otherwise would have -- the vast majority homicides and suicides -- according to a study published Monday. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and lead author of the paper in JAMA Pediatrics, told AFP he was drawn to the topic as a father wondering whether today's world is safer for children than when he was growing up. "Mortality from car accidents has fallen dramatically, but at the same time, firearm mortality rose and replaced car accidents as the leading cause of death in children over the age of one," he said -- a trend unique among peer nations. To probe this shift, Faust and his colleagues analyzed state-level data before and after McDonald v Chicago, the 2010 Supreme Court decision that extended the Second Amendment to state and local governments. The ruling sparked a wave of legislation, some tightening gun laws but much of it loosening them. The team grouped states into three categories -- most permissive, permissive, and strict -- and used Centers for Disease Control data on firearm deaths among children aged 0–17. They ran an "excess mortality analysis," comparing actual deaths from 2011 to 2023 against projections based on prior trends from 1999 to 2010 and population growth. The results were stark: more than 7,400 excess pediatric firearm deaths in states that loosened gun laws -- including over 6,000 in the most permissive group of states. By contrast, the eight strictest states overall saw no excess deaths. The model predicted 4,267 fatalities, while 4,212 were recorded -- a near-match that bolstered confidence in the analysis. "The biggest thing people always want to know is, what's the intent behind these?" said Faust. "And I think what surprises most people is that accidents are a very small number of these deaths -- it's mostly homicide and suicide." While the study showed strong associations, it cannot prove causation -- a key limitation. But in a test of whether broader increases in violence might explain the trend, rather than changes to the law, the team analyzed non-firearm homicides and suicides and found no similar rise, a result that makes the findings "pretty compelling," said Faust. Black children saw the steepest increases. While the reasons are unclear, the authors speculated that disparities in safe firearm storage could play a role. There were some exceptions. Deaths rose in Illinois and Connecticut despite tighter laws -- though in the latter case, the spike was entirely attributable to the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting at an elementary school. "Big picture, we have a major problem in this country," said Faust. "But we also have a handful of states that are resisting these increases and, in fact, turning the other direction." ia/aha
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
3 Healthcare Stocks Skating on Thin Ice
From novel pharmaceuticals to telemedicine, most healthcare companies are on a mission to drive better patient outcomes. But speed bumps such as inventory destockings have persisted in the wake of COVID-19, and over the past six months, the industry has pulled back by 12.3%. This performance was noticeably worse than the S&P 500's 1.9% fall. Investors should tread carefully as the influx of venture capital has also ushered in a new wave of competition. Taking that into account, here are three healthcare stocks we're swiping left on. Market Cap: $48.91 billion With a history dating back to 1897 and a presence in virtually every hospital around the globe, Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) develops and manufactures medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products used by healthcare institutions and professionals worldwide. Why Do We Think Twice About BDX? Annual sales growth of 4.1% over the last five years lagged behind its healthcare peers as its large revenue base made it difficult to generate incremental demand 10.5 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company's increased investments to defend its market position Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities BD is trading at $170.95 per share, or 11.4x forward P/E. If you're considering BDX for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Market Cap: $8.28 billion With a unique business model combining end-of-life care and household services, Chemed (NYSE:CHE) operates two distinct businesses: VITAS, which provides hospice care for terminally ill patients, and Roto-Rooter, which offers plumbing and water restoration services. Why Does CHE Fall Short? 4.6% annual revenue growth over the last five years was slower than its healthcare peers Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 8.9 percentage points Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam At $568.39 per share, Chemed trades at 22x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including CHE in your portfolio, it's free. Market Cap: $10.73 billion Formerly known as PerkinElmer until its rebranding in 2023, Revvity (NYSE:RVTY) provides health science technologies and services that support the complete workflow from discovery to development and diagnosis to cure. Why Is RVTY Risky? Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 8.8 percentage points Eroding returns on capital suggest its historical profit centers are aging Revvity's stock price of $91.03 implies a valuation ratio of 17.6x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why RVTY doesn't pass our bar. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Arkansas ranks 45th for child well-being in national report, despite modest gains
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas ranks 45th in the nation for overall child well-being, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book released Monday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The annual report evaluates how children are doing across all 50 states in four areas: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. 6-year-old Dennis Martin still missing after disappearing in Smokies in 1969 Though Arkansas has made some gains since the COVID-19 pandemic, the state continues to fall behind on most indicators compared to national averages. One area of progress is child poverty. The number of Arkansas children living in poverty has dropped by 7,000 since 2019. Still, 21% of the state's children remain in poverty, which is higher than the national rate of 16%. 'This report shows that while there has been some improvement, too many of our children are still being left behind,' said Keesa Smith-Brantley, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. 'We can't be satisfied with small gains when the overall trends remain troubling.' Racial disparities remain a serious issue. Officials said Black children in Arkansas face a poverty rate of 43%. Children of two or more races have a poverty rate of 21%, while 19% of Hispanic or Latino children live in poverty. Non-Hispanic White children have the lowest poverty rate at 15%. Ohio girl with brain injury from flu complications returns home In addition to being ranked 44th for child poverty, Arkansas is in the bottom 10 states on the following indicators: Teens ages 16-19 not attending school and not working 8th graders below proficient on math level Low-birthweight babies Child and teen deaths Teens ages 10-17 who are overweight or obese Children in single-parent families Children living in high-poverty areas Teen birth rate 'If you look at the data, teens are where we're falling further behind,' Smith-Brantley said. 'We're seeing more teens out of school and unemployed, and more who are overweight or obese. These are outcomes tied directly to the decisions our leaders are or aren't making.' For more information, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.