Report exposes inequalities affecting BAME communities

RACISM, discrimination and social inequalities have contributed to the disproportionate impact the coronavirus pandemic has had among ethnic minorities, an official review has found.

The findings are contained in a section of a report completed by Public Health England which the Government has been criticised for not publishing.

The document, seen by Sky News, contains recommendations on how to protect members of the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community from Covid-19.

In the executive summary, it says: “It is clear from discussions with stakeholders the pandemic exposed and exacerbated long-standing inequalities affecting BAME communities in the UK.”

The review, authored by Professor Kevin Fenton from Public Health England, also notes that many BAME people are key workers, meaning they “may be more exposed to Covid-19, and therefore are more likely to be diagnosed”.

It continues: “Stakeholders pointed to racism and discrimination experienced by communities and more specifically BAME key workers as a root cause to exposure risk and disease progression.”

People from BAME backgrounds are up to twice as likely to die from coronavirus.

Researchers found that people of Bangladeshi ethnicity had around twice the risk of death than people of white British ethnicity, while people of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, Caribbean and black ethnicity had between 10 and 50 per cent higher risk of death.

In a statement sent to Sky News on Sunday, a PHE spokesperson said Professor Fenton’s work will be “submitted to the minister next week, and will publish it at the same time”.