Efforts, Events Seek To Address Health Disparities Among Minorities
The following highlights efforts that seek to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
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American Cancer Society: ACS within the next week will announce a new breast cancer awareness effort that targets American Indian women, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports. American Indian women are less likely to be diagnosed with the disease but tend to have more fatal cases, according to the Argus Leader. The effort will include public service announcements and an 11-minute film produced entirely by American Indians. Roberta Cahill of the Pierre, S.D., division of ACS, said American Indians will connect better with the educational message because it includes members from their own community (Young, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 3/3).
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Indian Health Services: IHS has extended by two years the multimillion dollar Special Diabetes Program for Indians demonstration projects, which seek to prevent the disease and reduce cardiovascular disease risk among American Indians with diabetes, Indian Country Today reports. The programs funded through SDPI use clinical, team-based case management to treat risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to Yvette Roubideaux, co-director of the Coordinating Center for the SDPI demonstration projects. IHS' Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention will share the outcomes of the demonstration projects in the final year with other American Indian health programs to help tribes start other prevention efforts (Austin, Indian Country Today, 2/27).
- Tacoma, Wash.: The Pierce County AIDS Foundation this week is sponsoring two events to mark National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 10 -- the Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS and a daylong community health fair, which both target the black community, Tacoma Weekly reports. Numerous churches will participate in the week of prayer that ends on Saturday and the community health fair, also on Saturday, will offer no-cost health screenings, counseling, public speakers and entertainment (Nagle, Tacoma Weekly, 3/5).