Chronic illness and disease are among the leading causes of death in the United States and focal points of health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities.

Food security and access to healthy foods play a large role in the reduced risks of chronic diseases such as: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. While New York is arguably one of the most diverse cities in the nation, the composition of Hispanics/Latinos and African-Americans is significantly higher in the Harlem while leading causes of death and hospital admissions for the top ten leading causes of death are 45% higher in Harlem compared to New York City overall.

According to the Hunter College of New York City Food Policy Center, approximately 23.8% of Harlem is food insecure compared to 15.4% of New York City residents. Specifically, 4,548,222 and 6,300,973 meals are needed for food security in East and Central Harlem, respectively. Additionally, the ratio of supermarkets to bodegas in both Central (1:11) and East (1:17) highlights decreased access to healthier foods which aligns with Harlem’s higher rate of obesity (31% versus 24%), diabetes (14% versus 11%), and hypertension (34.5% versus 28%) compared to New York City.

Launched in 2021, NYS Health’s ‘Healthy Food, Healthy Lives’ priority area seeks to advance policies and programs that connect New Yorkers with the food they need to thrive through two strategies: a) policies that promote healthy and affordable food; and b) testing and scaling programs that connect people to healthy and affordable food. Subsequently, we propose a targeted push for nutrition equity as the foundation for a healthy community and as a key component of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) process.

Through simultaneously fulfilling the need for meals and healthier eating options in Harlem, we can create scalable, flexible, and adaptable processes that intentionally aim for equitable health outcomes.