CHICAGO (WLS) -- Since the pandemic, the Chicago Department of Public Health says all racial and ethnic communities in the city have seen an improvement in life expectancy.

However, it's the lowest among Black Chicagoans at 69.8 years. That's more than 11 years lower than the life expectancy for non-Black Chicagoans, according to the health department.

ABC7 spoke with three experts from the Chicago Department of Public Health about their work to close the gap.

Dr. Simbo Ige is the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. She said the top three drivers of this disparity are chronic diseases, gun violence and opioid overdoses.

CDPH prepared the Healthy Chicago 2025 Strategic Plan Report to close the gap.

"We know the reasons why people are dying before the age of 65 and we want to do something about it in the communities that are most impacted," Dr. Ige said. "We want to tailor our programs to better engage with the community, make sure people can access the services they need and make sure people have information about how they can live healthier, longer lives."

The communities that CDPH has identified as those most impacted are Englewood, Lawndale and Austin.

Dr. Ige said these communities don't have as many opportunities for healthy food, for safe exercise and health services.

She added that community health workers will be in these neighborhoods engaging with residents.

"We've started doing community meetings and convening to help our community partners know that we are starting this initiative," she said.

Mental health is also a component in the effort to close the racial life expectancy gap.

"Typically individuals who are mentally ill are not necessarily focused on their physical health," said Tiffany Patton-Burnside, the senior director of Crisis Services for the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program.

"Often times, the focus is on the mental health, not the physical health," she said. "Often times people are not catching the symptoms that initially may appear."

Marlita White is the director for the Office of Violence Prevention and Behavioral Health at the Chicago Department of Public Health.

White said that in recent years, they've tried to focus on trauma and impacts of trauma.

"Whether you are considered to be the perpetrator of a violent event, the victim of a violent event, you're living in a community that's really kind of encased in lots of chaotic and terrorizing and troubling episodes," she said.

"So, trauma itself, and the fact that most people who are impacted by a traumatic event rarely get assistance to address that," White said.