The disparities between Wyandotte and its neighbor to the south — Johnson County — remain the most dramatic contrast in the state. Residents of Wyandotte County and southeast Kansas face worse health outcomes than most of the rest of the state. A new report of annual health rankings from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute considers premature death, births of low-weight newborns, mental well-being and other factors. Southeast Kansas has struggled with poverty for generations — going back to the heyday of the region’s coal, zinc and lead mining industries. Those industries attracted immigrants willing to work dangerous jobs. The Kansas City, Kansas, area faces the cumulative effects of redlining and racism that have hindered financial investment in neighborhoods populated by people of color for decades.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
