A/68/333 only 17 per cent had completed a higher education degree. More generally, they were less likely to have completed bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctorate degrees than other communities. 35 49. The Special Rapporteur notes that people of African descent continue to suffer from discriminatory and consequently inadequate access to housing at various stages of the rental or sale process. In the United States, one in five individuals of an ethnic or racial minority experiences discrimination during a preliminary search for housing. Moreover, 46 per cent of African Americans were owners in 2011, against 74 per cent of whites. 36 In other regions of the world, such as Europe and Latin America, people of African descent also continue to face difficulties in finding housing, which contributes to their settlement in certain areas, isolated from the cities’ strategic points. This situation enhances the emergence of “ghettos” where essential services are largely inadequate. For those living in these “ghettos” accessing employment opportunities is particularly challenging, further reinforcing the vicious cycle of poverty in which a large number are trapped. 50. For many persons of African descent, because of their low-income situation, the issue of food insecurity remains a significant challenge. In many countries, the situation is the result of unequal treatment but also of the economic situation. It is the case in Latin American countries where disparities of income and resources are high. On the other hand, in countries such as the United States, food insecurity is not the result of insufficient supplies of food but of disparities in its distribution. In 2004, 23.7 per cent of African American households and 21.7 per cent of Hispanic households suffered from food insecurity. 37 51. The Special Rapporteur also emphasizes that unequal access to food and sanitation increases health disparities. In the United States, where health insurance is correlated to employment and income, a significant number of persons of African descent are uninsured. 38 Moreover, structural discrimination by health care institutions, and sometimes health professionals, means that people of African descent are often faced with unequal access to medicines and treatments. In Latin America, poverty affects the health conditions of persons of African descent. For example, while 40 per cent of white Colombians have health coverage, only 10 per cent of African Colombians do. In other countries, where a lower proportion of the population is of African descent, discriminatory practices also remain common. In Peru, discrimination in health centres is frequent. According to the International Development Bank, Afro-Latin Americans suffer from higher infant mortality rates in many areas of South America. 39 __________________ 35 36 37 38 39 13-43133 United States Census Bureau, “Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009”, February 2012; available from www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p20-566.pdf. Pew Research Center, “Wealth gaps rise to record highs between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics”, 26 July 2011; available from www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2011/07/SDT-Wealth-Report_7-2611_FINAL.pdf. Report on the mission to the United States of America of the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty (E/CN.4/2006/43/Add.1), para. 31. Ibid., para. 32. Minority Rights Group International, State of the World’s Minorities 2006, p. 71. 13/22