National Minority Health Month Highlights Community-Level Efforts to Help End Health Disparities

March 31, 2017

On April 1, 2017, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) will launch the annual observance of National Minority Health Month. The theme this year, Bridging Health Equity Across Communities, emphasizes the collaborative, community-level work being done across the nation to help achieve health equity.

During National Minority Health Month 2017, the HHS OMH will highlight partner initiatives in communities that address the indirect conditions that affect health, also known as social determinants of health. The conditions in the places where people are born, grow, live, work, play, learn, and age have significant impact on the health outcomes of individuals, families, and their communities.

As part of the 2017 observance, HHS OMH will host a #Bridge2Health Twitter Town Hall at 1:00 PM EDT on April 12 that will highlight examples from around the country of community-based efforts to address health disparities. Organizations can also support efforts to help reduce health disparities by participating in the HHS OMH Health Equity Thunderclap on April 28.

Health disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations—or the differences in health, health care and well-being—have a detrimental effect on our nation and our communities. In the United States, it has been estimated that the combined cost of health disparities and subsequent deaths among racial and ethnic minorities due to inadequate and/or inequitable care is $1.24 trillion. Healthier communities mean lower health care costs, which translate into a stronger economy and a more productive, competitive America. 

Read more on MinorityHealth.hhs.gov.