Advil, owned by Pfizer, launched the Pain Equity Project to end “systemic pain racism.”
“The sources of pain bias in the US date back hundreds of years and are deeply rooted in racism. Below are a few historical examples that have directly led to the pain biases seen today,” the project’s website states.
“While pain biases are a result of the pervasive nature of medical racism, it’s important to know that countless healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates have been working tirelessly to foster a more equitable healthcare system.”
The ad comes as a Democrat-led resolution declared that racism is a “public health crisis.”
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) wrote, “Public health experts agree that significant racial inequities exist in the prevalence, severity, and mortality rates of various health conditions in the United States,” explaining that life expectancies are “significantly lower” than those of “non-Hispanic White people” in the U.S.
In a press release for the resolution, Brown said, “This resolution is an important step toward recognizing the racial disparities in healthcare that have existed for far too long, while also outlining concrete action we can take now to help reverse them. Your background or the color of your skin shouldn’t determine whether you get quality, respectful care, or whether your air and water are clean, or whether there’s a good hospital nearby. This declaration will help to lay the foundation for change, so that all Americans can live longer, healthier lives.”
