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Systemic

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What to expect

'A work of towering importance that will undoubtedly change science and save lives, but it will also change the way you see yourself and the people around you' Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People

'A groundbreaking, brilliantly argued book that debunks the myth that illness is the great equaliser' Siddhartha Mukherjee

First, do no harm: All doctors train under this ethos, but what happens when harm comes not from conscious actions, but unconscious bias?

Then, do the research:
- Black British women are four times more likely than white women to die during pregnancy or childbirth
- In the UK, Black and Asian patients wait nearly a week longer for a cancer diagnosis than white patients
- People of colour are three times more likely to live in very highly polluted areas of the UK

In Systemic, science journalist Layal Liverpool unearths the shocking research and articulates the vital solutions to the potent health threat of racism in society, science and medicine. Across the world, in every country she has studied and in every area of medicine she has examined, people belonging to marginalised racial and ethnic groups disproportionately experience poor health outcomes – with people of colour often experiencing worse health compared with White people.

From cardiovascular disease to viruses, cancer to mental illness, Liverpool delves into the reasons racial health disparities exist and reveals that diseases are not ‘great equalisers’ – not when you live in an unequal society. She shows how the widespread adoption of anti-racist medical standards and societal policies will be central in creating a healthier world for everyone.

Critics Review

  • Layal Liverpool has produced a work of towering importance that will undoubtedly change science and save lives, but it will also change the way you see yourself and the people around you. Systemic is beautifully written and scholarly but perhaps almost uniquely for such a book it is deeply personal and accessible, packed with compelling stories and fascinating details which are harnessed to make an impassioned argument for a better world

    Chris van Tulleken, bestselling author of Ultra-Processed People

  • A groundbreaking, brilliantly argued book that debunks the myth that illness is the great equaliser. With a strong foundation in science and biology, Layal Liverpool unequivocally proves that addressing bias in medicine and data gaps in research will lead to a healthier and more equal world

    Siddhartha Mukherjee, bestselling author of The Emperor of All Maladies, The Gene and The Song of the Cell

  • Systemic: How Racism is Making Us Ill is a poignant and timely work that intimately captures the authentic narratives of individuals. Layal’s writing doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the pain of systemic racism in healthcare but, much like my own experience shared in the book, transforms adversity into a catalyst for positive change. As a survivor of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, I feel deeply honoured by Layal’s thoughtful approach, giving voice not only to my journey but also to the countless unspoken survivors and victims. May this transformative narrative pave the way for lasting change

    Kanayo Dike-Oduah

  • Across a global canvas Layal Liverpool deploys deep compassion, gut-wrenching testimony and peerless scientific journalism to show how racism lives and kills. But then she guides us to a revelation: once we know the truth of racism, it’s possible to chart a way to a health system in which anti-racism is medicine. It’s a prescription that everyone needs

    Raj Patel, co-author of Inflamed

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