(Black PR Wire) NEW YORK, New York and CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts – The National Urban League, a historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization, and Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) together announce a new health equity initiative that seeks to address the obstacles that disproportionately hinder access to better health care for historically marginalized populations in the U.S.

This partnership will ultimately help to raise awareness, knowledge and action across the National Urban League’s network of local affiliates and partners on social determinants of health (SDOH) and the barriers to accessing timely diagnosis and treatment in communities. Takeda’s support through this initiative will enable the creation of a Health Equity Continuum of Service Structure across the National Urban League’s network, including the development and implementation of local health equity plans to address identified health inequities and barriers to access in communities. Additionally, Takeda will support the National Urban League in developing webinars and workshops for continued health equity education and professional development among its affiliates. Long-term efforts under this partnership will engage key stakeholders to shape local and national policy, institutional commitments and structural investments in communities to achieve health equity holistically.

"The COVID-19 pandemic shone a harsh light on the historic and structural inequities in our health care system and the urgent need for reform," said Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. "The National Urban League is proud to work with forward-thinking partners like Takeda, the first organization to fund our health equity infrastructure."

“Working alongside trusted leaders in the community and community-based organizations is vital to ensure we’re prioritizing the complex needs of historically marginalized people and can help to implement thoughtful solutions,” said Dr. Chris Reddick, head of U.S. Health Equity at Takeda. “That’s why we’ve partnered with the National Urban League, an organization that looks to the root of inequities and prioritizes community-led solutions to deliver care that reflects local needs.”

Health inequities result in higher rates of disease and poorer health outcomes for a wide range of health conditions among people in racial and ethnic groups when compared to their white counterparts.1 For example, the average life expectancy among Black or African American people in the U.S. is four years lower than that of white people.2 Data also shows that LGBTQ+ people were more likely than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts to report negative experiences while receiving health care.1 In order to solve for these deep-rooted health disparities, Takeda is committed to supporting community-serving organizations that are closest to the nuanced challenges and needs of a population, to ultimately create lasting change.

About National Urban League

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights and organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than three million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague.

About Takeda

Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines. Together with our partners, we aim to improve the patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment options through our dynamic and diverse pipeline. As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, we are guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Our employees in approximately 80 countries and regions are driven by our purpose and are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries. For more information, visit www.takeda.com.