Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city's Chicago Department of Public Health declared racism a public health crisis on Thursday, pointing out systematic racism as a primary factor in the city's life expectancy discrepancies.

"The 9.2-year life expectancy gap between Black and non-Black Chicagoans that has increased in the past 10 years," said the mayor quoted by NBC Chicago, "At almost every single point in our city's history, racism has taken a devastating toll on the health and well-being of our residents of color - especially those who are Black."

"Without formally acknowledging this detrimental impact, we will never be able to move forward as a city and fully provide our communities with the resources they need to live happy and healthy lives" Lightfoot added.

The declaration comes after the new report published by the Chicago Department of Public Health earlier this week, which shows that Black residents in the city have a "shorter life expectancy rate."

In general, "Black Chicagoans, on average, live 71.4 years, and non-Black Chicagoans live 80.6 years," and the gap gets even wider, it said.

Declining life expectancy rates were also found in the city's Asian and Latino communities.