[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 54 (Monday, April 11, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              COMMEMORATING NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 11, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the importance of 
April as National Minority Health Month.
  As a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chair of 
the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues Task Force on Women of 
Color, I have always believed that access to quality health care should 
be a universal right of all citizens.
  National Minority Health Month is a time to reflect and renew our 
shared dedication and responsibility to eradicating racial disparities 
in health.
  Commemorated every year, National Minority Health Month is to 
heighten public awareness of the importance of minimizing health 
disparities and improve the health status of minority populations.
  National Minority Health Month was established 14 years ago when 
Congress passed H. Con. Res. 388, a concurrent resolution designating 
April as the month to ``promote educational efforts on the health 
problems currently facing minorities and other health disparity 
populations.''
  H. Con. Res. 388 encouraged ``all health organizations and Americans 
to conduct appropriate programs and activities to promote healthfulness 
in minority and other health disparity communities.''
  Mr. Speaker, the differences in places where we live, work, and play 
frequently result in inequalities in opportunities like quality 
childcare and education, access to healthy foods, and safe places to be 
physically active.
  ``National Minority Cancer Awareness Week'' is observed during the 
third full week in April and directs attention to the fact that cancer 
has a disproportionately severe impact on minorities and the 
economically disadvantaged.
  The rate of premature death (death before age 75 years) from stroke 
and coronary heart disease are higher among non-Hispanic blacks than 
among whites.
  In 2009, homicide rates were 263 percent higher among males than 
females and 665 percent higher among non-Hispanic blacks compared with 
non-Hispanic whites.
  The motor vehicle-related death rate for men is approximately 2.5 
times that for women.
  In addition, the motor vehicle-related death rate for American 
Indians and Alaska Natives is more than twice as high as for other 
racial and ethnic groups.
  Tuberculosis rates declined among all racial and ethnic minority 
groups and among both U.S. and foreign-born persons from 2006 to 2010.
  Rates of tuberculosis cases, however, remained persistently higher 
among racial and ethnic minority groups than among whites in 2010.
  Obesity rates remain higher among racial minorities than whites.
  Non-Asian racial/ethnic minorities continue to experience higher 
rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnoses than whites.
  Diabetes prevalence is highest among males, persons aged 65 years and 
older, non-Hispanic blacks and those of mixed race, Hispanics, persons 
with less than high school education, those who were poor, and those 
with a disability.
  During 2010, approximately 40 percent Hispanic adults and 25 percent 
of non-Hispanic black adults were classified as uninsured.
  In my district, two outstanding organizations, African-American 
Breast Cancer Outreach and Gateway to Care, have dedicated themselves 
to advocacy efforts for minority health.
  The African-American Breast Cancer Outreach program received ``models 
of achievement'' awards from the Center for Research on Minority Health 
of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Gateway to 
Care was awarded special recognition for its work to help uninsured and 
underinsured residents acquire health care.
  Mr. Speaker, National Minority Health Month serves to remind each and 
every one of us of the importance of addressing the very real racial 
and ethnic health disparities that still plague our nation and to 
recognize and commend those community organizations that do yeoman work 
in eradicating them.

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