Short film Black Body exposes racism in healthcare

Instituto Yduqs, an initiative for social and environmental responsibility by Yduqs, the largest higher education group in Brazil, and Instituto de Educação Médica (IDOMED) a medical education institute that brings together several medical schools with over 25 years of experience in the field have released the short film Black Body, based on true pains.

Created by Artplan, the largest Brazilian advertising agency with 100% national capital, the production reveals the harsh reality of racism in the context of healthcare assistance and services in Brazil. Focusing on the micro aggressions and discriminations suffered by Black people, the initiative questions the differences in medical care and the racial obstacles that affect the quality of life of this significant portion of the population.

The insight for the film came from the studies of the MEDIVERSIDADE project, by Instituto Yduqs and IDOMED, which works to include diverse ethnicities and social conditions in healthcare. The short film highlights the alarming fact that only 3% of doctors in Brazil are Black, according to data from the Federal Council of Medicine in 2023.

Real data, extracted from various studies and publications, demonstrates the inequality in healthcare: Black patients wait, on average, 10 minutes longer to be evaluated. Moreover, consultations with Black patients last, on average, 47% less than with white patients. They also have fewer chances of undergoing imaging exams or X-rays, which can compromise early and accurate diagnoses. The time between diagnosis and surgery is, on average, 6.7 days longer for Black patients, highlighting a systemic bias that can directly affect the survival and quality of life of this population.

“Black Body is an emotional account that brings visibility to a problem that Black people face daily in Brazil: unequal treatment in medical services. And I am extremely happy to see Mediversidade bringing this reflection to light. More than that, we are provoking a debate about the role of education in building a more inclusive and conscious society. Mediversidade is a program that transforms our classrooms, making them more diverse. But it goes beyond that: we are modifying medical practice, giving visibility to a structural problem in health and society. We are working to train doctors who are more prepared to see and care for all lives, promoting a more equitable and, above all, human education,” reveals Claudia Romano, president of Instituto Yduqs and vice president of the Yduqs educational group.

“With the Mediversidade program, we reaffirm our commitment to inclusion and diversity in all 18 medical schools of the IDOMED group. We believe that a diverse educational environment enriches the academic experience and better prepares all our future doctors to meet the real needs of society,” says Silvio Pessanha, CEO of IDOMED.

Aiming to provoke reflection on the consequences of structural racism in healthcare, the short film follows the journey of a Black man facing indifference and negligence from professionals in this field. “Our creative team chose to use camera techniques and effects to blur the patient and symbolise precisely this lack of attention, highlighting his invisibility. The short film emphasizes the distance and lack of care, vividly portraying the barriers that Black people face even in the most critical moments of their lives,” highlights Marcello Noronha, CCO of Artplan.