Dr. Mary Bassett is the Deputy Director of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
From 2002 – 2009, Dr. Bassett served as the Deputy Director of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene overseeing the District Public Health Program and the bureaus of Chronic Disease, Tobacco Control, School Health, Minority Health, and Maternal Infant and Reproductive Health. Originally from New York City, she graduated from Harvard and Columbia Universities and completed her medical training at Harlem Hospital Center. She serves as an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Public Health and recently returned to her passion of promoting primary health care in Africa. She is now with the Doris Duke Foundation and is serving as the Associate Director for its African Health Initiative.
Q: How is New York City’s health today? What are the top health problems here?
A: The leading causes of death in New York City have not shifted much over the past few decades except for diabetes. Between 2002 and 2008, deaths from diabetes went from the sixth major cause of death to the fourth. Heart disease and stroke are also high on the list, followed by cancer.
Q: How healthy are people in Harlem compared to the rest of the city?
A: Heart disease and cancer are major causes of death in Harlem, although rates are not much higher than the rest of the City. While Harlem is gentrifying, it is still not as healthy as New York City in general. For example, the chart in the picture box above shows the information we have about high blood pressure and obesity in 2007.
The main causes of heart disease, stroke and cancer such as unhealthy diet, tobacco use and lack of physical activity are higher in Harlem than in the rest of the City. These are what we call ‘actual causes of death’ because they put people at risk for things like high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, for example.
Q: Why are Harlemites less healthy than other New Yorkers?
Part of the difference comes from the environment people live in. We understand that it is not fair or practical for some people to eat healthy when there are few opportunities to get fresh vegetables because local supermarkets close down. We also understand that it can also be difficult to be physically active when it is unsafe to exercise in your neighborhood and gym memberships cost money.
Q: What is your vision for Harlem’s health over the next five years?
A lot of how we build our community environment gives us opportunities to build better health. Where you live, the food you eat, the way your surroundings help or hurt your ability to exercise, the people you interact with, among others, all contribute to health. Many of the health issues in Harlem are preventable. Improvements in how the community is organized and in what kinds of food are available will improve the health of Harlem’s residents. It will increase access to physical activity and better, healthier foods. I don’t know how the health of Harlem will be affected by the gentrification that is taking place in Harlem, but it will be interesting to see if and how it affects this community. I hope that the additional resources and development will provide more opportunities for everyone to get and stay healthy, regardless of if they are new to the community or have been Harlemites for generations.
deburebu May 13, 2010 - 4:32am
This doctor is so amazing. I have always respected her so much.