HealthTALK

Why Sickle Cell Disease Is a Workplace Issue, Not Just a Health One.

Every September, Sickle Cell Awareness Month asks the public to understand a condition that has been part of Black communities for generations but has only recently started getting the attention, funding and workplace consideration it deserves.

For Black women in particular, who are disproportionately likely to be both patients and primary caregivers, sickle cell disease (SCD) sits at an exhausting intersection. An invisible illness, layered onto a healthcare system that too often does not believe their pain, layered onto workplaces that were not built with fluctuating, unpredictable conditions in mind.

Invisible Illness Meets Invisible Bias

SCD is the UK's most common and fastest-growing genetic blood disorder, affecting an estimated 15,000–17,500 people, with around 250 new cases diagnosed each year. It predominantly affects people of Black African and Caribbean heritage. The disease itself is punishing. Rigid, sickle-shaped red…

Let’s Talk

What Sexual Health Week 2026 Means for Our Community.

Sexual Health Week is a UK-wide campaign, currently led by the charity Brook, running 14–20 September 2026 under the theme "Let's Connect!" It is about rebuilding real conversations with partners, with our children, with ourselves. In a culture of ghosting, scrolling and half-truths picked up online.

For the NBWN, this is not an abstract awareness week. It sits directly on top of data that shows Black women, on both sides of the Atlantic, carry a disproportionate share of the burden and the reasons are structural, not behavioural.

The Evidence

When Was the Last Time You Saw a Black Child With Down Syndrome in a Doctor's Waiting-Room Poster?

If the answer is "never," you have just found the gap that four mothers spent years fighting to close.

Black children with Down syndrome do not appear in the pamphlets, the research studies or  the campaign imagery that shape how families understand a diagnosis. That invisibility is not a coincidence and  it is not harmless. It shapes who gets diagnosed early, who gets referred to specialists on time and  who survives longer.

Oneness Sankara, Marsha Martin, Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie and Danise B. Grant refused to let that absence stand and the Black Child Down Syndrome Project they built is now recognised nationally for proving what happens when lived experience becomes advocacy.

The scale of the gap is measurable and the numbers are stark. A 2022 review of parent experiences following prenatal screening for…

Spotlight on Care:

Black Nurses and Maternal Mental Health

Maternal mental health affects families at every level, yet the disparities facing Black women in the United Kingdom remain profound and often overlooked.

One in ten women experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or in the year after birth, but Black women are more likely to face poorer outcomes, less likely to be heard and too often left undiagnosed or unsupported.

This feature honours the Black nurses, midwives and mental health professionals who continue to hold the line. They provide culturally sensitive, trauma-informed care while advocating fiercely for mothers who deserve to be safe, believed and properly supported.

Beyond Survival:

Why National Mental Health Month Must Be a Turning Point!

Every October, we are invited to pause and think about mental health.

For many, this means campaigns, hashtags, curated conversations and branded commitments to 'raising awareness.'

Yet studies show that awareness alone does not translate into better outcomes for marginalised groups.

Celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This month we pause, reflect and celebrate life while raising awareness for breast cancer, a condition that touches millions of women across the globe. Louise Hay often reminded us that our bodies are always speaking to us and that loving attention is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is not only about ribbons, campaigns, or statistics, it is a sacred reminder to listen deeply, to honour our health and to choose life by making check-ups a priority.

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the world. In the UK alone, around 55,000 women are diagnosed each year and in the U.S. over 280,000 cases are reported annually. Yet the truth is, when found early, survival rates increase dramatically. Screening and self-examination are not acts of fear, but acts of self-love. They whisper to the body “I am worth saving.…

Do You Really Know Who You’re Talking To?

Navigating the World of Medical Science

Healthcare can feel like a maze. When you’re unwell, knowing which specialist to see is not just a matter of convenience, it is the difference between a swift diagnosis and months of frustration. Every branch of medicine exists for a reason and understanding these roles can help you or your loved ones get the right care, faster.

Did You Know?

How to Start a Mental Health Conversation with Your Manager

Why mental health is a strategic priority and an equity issue for today’s workplace.

The modern workplace is awash in wellness programs, yet many employees still hesitate to say the words “I’m struggling.” We talk openly about quarterly earnings or market trends, but mental health arguably a far bigger predictor of productivity remains a quiet topic.

In boardrooms and team huddles alike, mental health has shifted from a “nice-to-have” benefit to a core driver of performance and retention. Yet the lived experience of mental health support is far from uniform.

But the experience of support is far from uniform. For Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) professionals, the stakes and barriers are higher and leaders who overlook this reality risk both talent loss and reputational damage.

Infertility Has Many Faces And None Define Your Worth

Infertility is a deeply personal yet globally significant health issue. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it affects approximately 1 in 6 people of reproductive age worldwide. Clinically, infertility is defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. For women over 35, the timeframe for assessment is often shortened to six months due to age-related fertility changes.

While infertility is often discussed in terms of biology, research in psychoneuroendocrinology (the scientific study of how the mind (psyche), nervous system (neuro) and endocrine system (hormones) interact and influence each other) shows that it is also an emotional and psychological journey. The stress of infertility can influence the body’s hormonal systems particularly the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (the body’s hormone-regulating system that controls reproductive function by coordinating signals between the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary gland) and the…

The Crisis in Black Maternity

Addressing Disparities and Paving the Way for Change in Healthcare

The numbers are stark and undeniable. In the UK, Black women continue to face a maternal mortality crisis that exposes the deep-rooted inequities in the healthcare system. But what do these statistics really tell us about the state of healthcare for Black women and how can we leverage the rise of AI and digital healthcare solutions to shift the narrative?

Key Statistics That Demand Our Attention

Beyond the Algorithm,  AI, Health Equity & the Future for BAME Women

There are moments in history where everything changes, not through a viral headline, but through quiet shifts in access, behaviour and power. COVID-19 was one of those moments. But what followed may be even more defining,  the silent rise of AI and digital acceleration in healthcare.

While algorithms replaced admin and remote care replaced waiting rooms, an uncomfortable truth emerged, BAME women remain underrepresented and underserved. Not just in treatment, but in the design of the very systems meant to improve our wellbeing.

Let’s break it down.

1. AI in Healthcare and Who Gets Seen