Center for Minority Health

National Minority Health Month

Web Tool Kits:

CANCER

Preventing and Controlling Cancer | The Nation’s Second Leading Cause of Death 2007
“In the battle against cancer, we know that no one group or individual can do it all.Collaboration is a fundamental and necessary process to promote cancer prevention, improve cancer detection,increase access to health and social services, and reduce the burden of cancer.”

Cancer in African American Women: Key Points Vital Statistics and Social Indicators
There are approximately 34.7 million African Americans in the United States—Blacks thus comprise about 12 percent of the total U.S. population.

• There are about 15.3 million African American adult women in the United States.
• Compared to U.S. women overall, African Americans are relatively young, have large families, are less educated and more likely to be living in poverty, and are disproportionately living in single-parent households. more »

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
CDC provides low-income, uninsured, and underserved women access to timely, high-quality screening and diagnostic services to detect breast and cervical cancers at the earliest stages. more »

Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Fact Sheet The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a leader in nationwide efforts to ease the burden of cancer. Through the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, CDC works with national cancer organizations, state health agencies, and other key groups to develop, implement, and promote effective strategies for preventing and controlling cancer. more »

Preventing Chronic Diseases: Investing Wisely in Health Screening to Prevent Cancer Deaths Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America, exceeded only by heart disease. Every year, cancer claims the lives of more than half a million people. Many cancer deaths could be avoided if more people were screened for cancer. more »
Lung Cancer Initiatives Fact Sheet

Hematologic Cancer Initiatives Fact Sheet

Colorectal Cancer Initiatives Fact Sheet

Prostate Cancer Initiatives Fact Sheet

Skin Cancer Prevention and Education Initiative Fact Sheet

Cervical Cancer Screening Fact Sheet: Basic Facts on Screening and the Pap Test

Science In Brief Fact Sheet: Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Research and Evaluation Activities

Fact Sheet

Cancer Facts & Figures 2007

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS Overview
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)infection has now spread to every country in the world and has infected more than 40 million people worldwide as of the end of 2003. More than 1.1 million people in the United States have been infected with HIV. The scourge of HIV has been particularly devastating in Sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of adult women among those infected with HIV is increasing.

HIV: A lentivirus of a subgroup of retroviruses, HIV causes AIDS. The virus kills or damages cells of the body’s immune system. HIV progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers. People diagnosed with AIDS may develop life-threatening diseases from viruses or bacteria that rarely make healthy people sick. These infections are called opportunistic infections. AIDS: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was first recognized in 1981 in New York City. The epidemic is growing most rapidly among minority populations. The virus was identified in 1983. A diagnostic blood test was developed in 1985.

HIV/AIDS and African Americans

Of all racial and ethnic groups in the placecountry-regionUnited States, HIV and AIDS have hit African Americans the hardest. The reasons are not directly related to race or ethnicity, but rather to some of the barriers faced by many African Americans. These barriers can include poverty (being poor), sexually transmitted diseases, and stigma (negative attitudes, beliefs, and actions directed at people living with HIV/AIDS or directed at people who do things that might put them at risk for HIV).
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/aa/index.htm

Fact Sheet
HIV/AIDS Among African Americans

IMMUNIZATION

• Key Facts about Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine
• Preventing the Flu
• Influenza Symptoms, Protection, and What to Do If You Get Sick

Ten things you should know about immunizations
Diseases that childhood vaccines prevent more »

About Vaccine Safety
As a leader in immunization safety research and surveillance, CDC plays a vital role in assuring vaccine safety. Sound immunization policies and recommendations affecting the health of our nation depend upon continuous monitoring of vaccines and ongoing assessment of immunization benefits and risks. While serious vaccine side effects are rare, it is difficult to detect them even with the well-designed large clinical trials that are conducted on vaccines before they are licensed. more »

Six Common Misconceptions about vaccination and how to respond to them
A great deal of information about vaccinations is available to parents. This is good, because parents should have access to any information that will help them make informed decisions about vaccination. However, information is sometimes published that is inaccurate or can be misleading when taken out of context. more »

The Importance of Childhood Immunizations Disease prevention is the key to public health. It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it. Vaccines prevent disease in the people who receive them and protect those who come into contact with unvaccinated individuals. Vaccines help prevent infectious diseases and save lives. Vaccines are responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once common in this country, including polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps, tetanus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). more »

Recommended Immunization Schedulefor Persons Aged 0–6 Years—UNITED STATES

• 2007

Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule

• 2007

Travelers' Health
This CDC website links to travel vaccinations to various areas of the world. If you click on any area, you get a variety of information. more »

Vaccine Myths

Racial Disparities in Flu Immunization
Influenza vaccination (the flu shot) is the best way to prevent influenza and its severe complications. African-Americans have lower influenza and pneumococcal immunization rates compared to the rest of the population.more »


Racial and Ethnic Adult Disparities in Immunization Initiative (READII)

INFANT MORTALITY

Supplemental Analyses of Recent Trends in Infant Mortality Overview Preliminary data for 2002 indicate an increase in the infant mortality rate (IMR) to 7.0 deaths per 1,000 live births from 6.8 in 2001.

To better understand the increase in the IMR for 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reviewed additional partially edited mortality records processed after the close of the preliminary data file as well as partially edited fetal death data for 2002 (processed as of January 2004). These data indicate that the increase in the 2002 IMR observed for preliminary data will be confirmed by final data, and that while the IMR increased, the perinatal mortality rate (late fetal deaths plus early neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births plus fetal deaths) remained stable. (Final statistics will be available later this year.) more »

Eliminate Disparities in Infant Mortality
Infant mortality is used to compare the health and well-being of populations across and within countries. The infant mortality rate, the rate at which babies less than one year of age die, has continued to steadily decline over the past several decades, from 26.0 per 1,000 live births in 1960 to 6.9 per 1,000 live births in 2000. The United States ranked 28th in the world in infant mortality in 1998.

This ranking is due in large part to disparities which continue to exist among various racial and ethnic groups in this country, particularly African Americans. more »

Infant deaths, and infant mortality rates by race of mother and 130 selected causes of infant death: United States, 2001 period data Table 45. Infant deaths, and infant mortality rates by race of mother and 130 selected causes of infant death: United States, 2001 period data Infant deaths weighted.

Fact Sheet
Infant Mortality

Reducing the risk of SIDS

What Can Be Done?

Unfortunately, we cannot expect to prevent all SIDS deaths now. To do so requires a much greater understanding of SIDS, which will be achieved only with a commitment from those who value babies and with a considerably expanded research effort. However, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS. more »

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
U.S. Annual SIDS Rate per 1000 Live Births.more »

American SIDS Institute Clinical Activities
Infants are referred to the American SIDS Institute by their primary care physician (pediatrician or family practitioner). The Institute’s services involve assessing the infant’s likelihood of having a life threatening episode during infancy and providing infant monitoring services for infants placed on home monitors. more »

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health
( REACH ) 2010:
Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) U.S. Finding Solutions to Health Disparities

• 2007
  

MENTAL HEALTH

Overview of Mental Illness
Since the turn of this century, thanks in large measure to research-based public health innovations, the lifespan of the average American has nearly doubled. Today, our Nation’s physical health—as a whole—has never been better. Moreover, illnesses of the body once shrouded in fear—such as cancer, epilepsy, and HIV/AIDS to name just a few—increasingly are seen as treatable, survivable, even curable ailments. Yet, despite unprecedented knowledge gained in just the past three decades about the brain and human behavior, mental health is often an afterthought and illnesses of the mind remain shrouded in fear and misunderstanding. more»

Bipolar Disorder and African Americans
An estimated 2.3 million Americans have bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness. A person with bipolar disorder can go from feeling very, very high (called mania) to feeling very, very low (depression). With proper treatment, people can control these mood swings and lead fulfilling lives. While the rate of bipolar disorder is the same among African Americans as it is among other Americans, African Americans are less likely to receive a diagnosis and, therefore, treatment for this illness. more»

Depression and African Americans - Not “Just the Blues”
Clinical depression is more than life’s “ups” and “downs.” Life is full of joy and pain, happiness and sorrow. It is normal to feel sad when a loved one dies, or when you are sick, going through a divorce, or having financial problems. But for some people the sadness does not go away, or keeps coming back. If your “blues” last more than a few weeks or cause you to struggle with daily life, you may be suffering from clinical depression. more»

Fact Sheets

African Americans
A person with one or more of the following symptoms should be evaluated by a psychiatrist or other physician as soon as possible: more»

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health