Uncovering inequities: the role of epidemiology in confronting racism

This article discusses the role of epidemiology and collective health in addressing racism and racial health inequalities in Brazil. The reflections presented were inspired by the conference "Unveiling Inequities: the role of epidemiology in confronting racism", held during the 12th Brazilian Congress of Epidemiology in 2024. Through a critical and historical analysis, the study seeks to understand how the Brazilian field of epidemiology - consolidated in Latin America and recognized for its contributions to collective health - still reproduces mechanisms that render Black and Indigenous researchers invisible. It argues that combating racism should not be the isolated responsibility of a specific group, but rather a collective and ethical commitment involving the entire scientific community. Morbidity and mortality data speak for themselves and for the majority of the Brazilian population, revealing the urgent need for a more explicit debate on racism within epidemiology and for reflection on how institutions and research groups are organized and operate based on power relations. Furthermore, it proposes that contemporary topics such as digital health, climate change, and mental health be analyzed through intersectional perspectives that consider race, gender, class, and other dimensions of inequality. The text emphasizes that recognizing racism as a social determinant of health is an essential condition for building an epidemiology committed to equity and the right to life. Acknowledging these gaps is necessary to move forward, as highlighted in Brazil's Fifth Brazilian Plan for the Development of Epidemiology.