Efforts Seek To Raise Health, Diabetes Education Awareness Among Minorities
The following highlights efforts that seek to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
- Memphis: Sanofi-Aventis recently announced that it has launched the Community Health Partnership initiative, which aims to reduce health care disparities in the black community and encourage individuals to improve their health. The initiative will link black residents with local health care professionals and resources already available in the community, using a community health liaison. Sanofi also will work with local outreach organizations to develop a resource guide and other informational material on existing health programs in the Memphis area. Similar programs will be launched in Baltimore; Miami; Newark, N.J.; New York; and San Antonio (Sanofi-Aventis release, 1/22).
- San Antonio: The National League of United Latin American Citizens and the Texas Diabetes Institute last week held a no-cost diabetes educational forum that aimed to help Hispanics manage and prevent the disease, the San Antonio Express-News reports. According to Roman Pena, chair of the league's diabetes initiative, the forum aimed to address the high rate of diabetes among Hispanics and highlight the importance of incorporating culturally appropriate strategies to improve the health of those with the disease (San Antonio Express-News, 1/23).
- San Diego County, Calif.: The Northwest Regional Primary Care Association last week held its 18th annual Western Migrant Stream Forum, a three-day conference on migrant farmworker health concerns, the North County Times reports. Local advocates contend that many of the migrant farmworkers are undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America and are living in substandard housing, which makes delivering adequate care to the group difficult. Health care workers throughout the western U.S. discussed ways to improve access to care, overcome barriers, prevent HIV/AIDS and address emergency response issues (Sifuentes, North County Times, 1/22).