[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            SUPPORT FOR THE MINORITY DIABETES INITIATIVE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LUIS G. FORTUNO

                             of puerto rico

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 14, 2007

  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
1031, the Minority Diabetes Initiative Act. Sponsored by my esteemed 
colleague, Representative Maxine Waters, this important legislation 
will establish initiatives to provide grants to physicians, community-
based organizations and other health care providers for diabetes care 
and treatment program in minority communities. It is of utmost 
importance that Congress take decisive action on this common-sense 
legislation that will benefit those struggling with diabetes.
  It is no secret that many serious health problems plague our nation's 
minority communities. Faced with tough economic obstacles, issues of 
access to health care, health education, and affordability of health 
care all contribute to a rising trend of heart disease, cancer, 
obesity, and diabetes among minorities. Diabetes is a leading cause of 
kidney failure, new blindness in adults, and leg and foot amputations. 
Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke, which are 
responsible for about 65% of deaths among diabetics.
  Unfortunately, diabetes is a disease that is rampant in my district, 
the island of Puerto Rico, and the statistics plainly prove that this 
is a serious problem. Official statistics put forth by the Puerto Rico 
Diabetes Association say that approximately 560,000 persons, including 
75,000 children, are diabetic. Fifteen percent of the Island's 
population lives with diabetes. Compared to all of Latin America and 
the Caribbean, Puerto Rico has the most cases of diabetes among women 
ages 20 to 79, and amongst these women, diabetes is the third leading 
cause of death on the Island. According to CDC data published in 2000, 
the national diabetes death rate for Hispanics/Latinos was highest 
among Puerto Ricans (172 per 100,000), followed by the rates for 
Mexican Americans (122 per 100,000), and Cuban Americans (47 per 
100,000). Clearly this is a pervasive problem not only in Puerto Rico, 
but among minority communities across the nation. Congress can help by 
moving this critical legislation towards passage.
  Among minorities, two of the major obstacles to adequate health care 
are lack of good information and language barriers. Many minorities, in 
particular new immigrants, do not understand the process of how the 
Federal health care system works, and have a hard time understanding 
new programs that are disseminated through traditional means of 
English-language ad campaigns or pamphlets they find at the clinic or 
doctors' office. Many don't have access to even general information--if 
they can't afford decent health care, how will they afford a laptop 
with Internet access, or even know where to access reliable 
information? And, in very rural areas, many debate the use of 
traditional versus conventional medicine, which presents a whole other 
set of challenges to health care education, disease treatment and 
prevention, and information dissemination. As you can see, in Puerto 
Rico, an approach to health care that is linguistically and culturally 
sensitive is absolutely critical to any patient's well-being. One of 
the many positive aspects of this bill is that it requires health care 
providers to make available culturally and linguistically appropriate 
services and conduct outreach activities to let eligible individuals 
know that services are available. This will enable providers to access 
and assist diabetics who are not being reached, and who need help.

  This bill is a sensible and culturally appropriate solution to 
effectively treat minorities with the disease. I urge my colleagues to 
cosponsor this legislation, and advise Congressional Leadership to move 
this bill towards swift passage, so we can help make better health care 
choices and treatment more accessible to minorities living with 
diabetes.

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