[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 9 (Monday, March 2, 1998)]
[Pages 303-304]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

February 21, 1998

    Good morning. February is Black History Month, the time when we 
celebrate the rich heritage of the African-American community and 
rededicate ourselves to the value of equal opportunity for all Americans 
that is at the heart of the American ideal. Today I want to talk about 
an important step we're taking to make sure all Americans, no matter 
what their background, have a better opportunity to live healthier 
lives.
    In the last 6 years, we've worked hard to make quality health care 
more accessible and affordable and to place more emphasis on prevention. 
And this approach is working. Since 1993, our Nation's health has 
greatly improved. Infant mortality has reached an all-time low, 
childhood immunization levels are at an all-time high, and AIDS death 
rates are falling for the first time in the history of the epidemic. 
Americans are living longer and are in better health than ever before.
    This is good news we should all celebrate. But we must not be blind 
to the alarming fact that too many Americans do not share in the fruits 
of our progress, and nowhere are the divisions of race and ethnicity 
more sharply drawn than in the health of our people.
    Consider: Infant mortality rates are twice as high for African-
Americans as for white Americans; African-American men suffer from heart 
disease at nearly twice the rate 

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of whites; African-Americans are more likely to die from breast cancer 
and prostate cancer. Overall, cancer fatalities are disproportionately 
high among both Latinos and blacks. Vietnamese women are 5 times as 
likely to have cervical cancer; Chinese-Americans, 4 to 5 times as 
likely to have liver cancer. Hepatitis B is much more prominent among 
Asian-Americans than the rest of the populations. Native Americans 
suffer higher rates of infant mortality and heart disease. And for 
diabetes, Hispanic rates are twice the national average, and Native 
American rates, 3 times the national average.
    Research shows that, overall, all these groups are less likely to be 
immunized against disease, less likely to be routinely tested for 
cancer, less likely to get regular check-ups. We do not know all the 
reasons for these disturbing gaps. Perhaps inadequate education, 
disproportionate poverty, discrimination in the delivery of health 
services, cultural differences are all contributing factors. But we do 
know this: No matter what the reason, racial and ethnic disparities in 
health are unacceptable in a country that values equality and equal 
opportunity for all. And that is why we must act now with a 
comprehensive initiative that focuses on health care and prevention for 
racial and ethnic minorities.
    This is our national goal: By the year 2010, we must eliminate 
racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality, diabetes, cancer 
screening and management, heart disease, AIDS, and immunization.
    My balanced budget plan devotes an unprecedented $400 million to 
spur promising prevention and outreach programs to help us meet this 
challenge. I'm asking our top public health officials, led by Secretary 
Donna Shalala, to convene a task force to find new ways of targeting 
existing Federal programs to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. Our 
new Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, will launch a comprehensive 
campaign to educate the public and work with community leaders and 
health professionals to reach more Americans.
    These steps, along with our drive to give 5 million more children, 
many of them minorities, health insurance, and our huge increase in 
overall medical research, will bring 
us closer to our goal. But to truly eliminate these disparities and 
ensure better health for all Americans, all Americans must do their 
part.

    I'm pleased to announce that Grant-Makers in Health, a major 
coalition of over 136 philanthropic foundations across the country, is 
joining our efforts. Together, we'll host a national conference this 
spring to help solve this national problem, community by community.

    Above all, Americans must take more responsibility for our own 
health and the health of our children, for good health is the greatest 
gift God can bestow, and it is each of our duty to protect it. America 
has the best health care system in the world, but we can't take full 
pride in that system until we know that every American has the best 
health care in the world. With these steps, I'm confident that we can 
meet the challenge and go forward as one America into the 21st century, 
stronger and healthier than ever before.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the 
White House.