Kingsley Ndoh, Founder and CEO at Hurone AI, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Juneteenth is a celebration of liberation, a day to reflect on the long journey toward freedom, dignity, and opportunity in America.
As a physician and founder of Hurone AI, this day also reminds me that true freedom is difficult to achieve when health outcomes are determined by factors beyond a person’s control. Freedom means little if you do not have equitable access to the care that helps you live a long and healthy life.
In healthcare, particularly in oncology, we are still confronting a legacy of inequity. Today, a person’s race and zip code can still influence their chances of surviving cancer.
The data tells a sobering story. Black women are 38% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women despite being 5% less likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer compared to White men. Across many cancer types and stages, survival rates remain lower for Black Americans.
This reality is deeply personal for me. My aunt died from colon cancer after facing barriers that delayed the care she needed. Her story is one of far too many. While biology may contribute to some differences, it cannot fully explain these disparities. Much of the gap is driven by unequal access to screening, timely treatment, quality care, and patient navigation.
That is why our partnership with Cierra Sisters is so meaningful.
For 30 years, Cierra Sisters has been doing the work that many healthcare systems are still trying to figure out: building trust, meeting people where they are, and ensuring Black women have the information, advocacy, and support they need to navigate their healthcare journeys.
Their leadership, community relationships, and commitment to health equity help ensure that the solutions we build are grounded in trust, informed by real-world barriers, and designed to meet people where they are.
Together, we are working toward a future where access to life-saving care is not determined by race, income, or geography. By combining community trust with innovative technology, we can help more people access screening, navigate care, and receive support throughout their cancer journey.
Take a look at the video below to see how we are building that future together.
True equality requires health equity.
Today, we celebrate how far we have come. We also recommit ourselves to the work that remains.
Happy Juneteenth.”
Other articles featuring Kingsley Ndoh on OncoDaily.