This week brings to a conclusion the observance of National Minority Health Month 2014. What is National Minority Health Month? Each April, the Office of Minority Health raises awareness about health disparities that continue to affect racial and ethnic minorities and the nation as a whole. This year’s theme is “Prevention is Power: Taking Action for Health Equity.” The theme emphasizes the critical role of prevention in reducing health disparities. It is a call to action, a charge for all of us to unite towards a common goal of improving the health of our communities. Everyone in America should have the chance to live a healthy life, regardless of who they are and where they live.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had this to say in her Statement on National Minority Health Month
Prevention is Power: “In April, we commemorate National Minority Health Month, a time to raise awareness about health disparities that persist among racial and ethnic minorities. This year’s theme – “Prevention is Power: Taking Action for Health Equity” – embodies the ambitious goal put forward by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to achieve “a nation free of disparities in health and health care.” Despite some recent progress in addressing health disparities, great challenges remain. Minorities are far more likely than non-Hispanic whites to suffer from chronic conditions, many of which are preventable. This is a particularly troubling statistic, because chronic diseases account for seven of the ten leading causes of death in our nation. For example, African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are more than three times as likely to receive the same diagnosis. And Latinos are twice as likely to die from liver cancer.” – See more at: http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=9748&lvl=1&lvlID=10#sthash.hHLB3cfz.dpuf
While April is coming to an end, this observance should represent the beginning of a journey towards building health equity for all. I encourage you to check out the social media content, events, resources, and toolkit that are available online at the Office of Minority Health. There are several events that will take place in May, so there is still time to get involved. You can also locate organizations that are doing the work every day and join forces with them to get out the prevention message. The Office of Minority Health has also provided a Toolkit for Community Action that can be used all year round to address local and regional issues. Together we can make a difference in achieving the goal of each American living a healthy life.
Resources:
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/#sthash.sTdkSkOk.dpuf
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/nmhm14/
Toolkit for Community Action: http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/nmhm14/
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