Anju Kane
Anju Kane is a 1st year Ph.D. student in the Health Behavior Research Program at the Keck School of Medicine. Her research interests are in sexual and reproductive health and rights, health disparities, and universal health coverage. Beyond academia, Anju is a birth equity advocate and community leader in Los Angeles and takes pride in providing the best community support possible through preventive care strategies and advocacy. Anju has also worked with the Malawi Ministry of Health to design care coordination processes to improve community health and has conducted award winning research focused on health as a human right in Cuba. Anju holds a MPH from the University of Southern California and an MA in Pan African Studies from Syracuse University.
We asked Anju, “What do you hope happens in the future to reduce disparities and enhance equity opportunities for vulnerable populations?”
“In order to reduce disparities and enhance equity opportunities for vulnerable populations I believe that it is necessary to make decades long commitment to addressing systemic racism in key domains like housing, education, and healthcare – sectors that tend to impact lifespan health and quality of life. If we allow structural racism to persist, disadvantaged populations will continue to have limited access to high-quality healthcare including treatment and vaccines; poor educational opportunities which often dictates socioeconomic status; and over exposure to high-risk living environments often characterized by high rates of violence or excess air and water pollution. If these factors are not adequately addressed, health disparities will continue.” – Anju Kane
