State Health Department Hosts Minority Health Conference

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - HealthThe Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Center for Minority Health Services hosted its first-ever Minority Health Conference to address health disparities facing many racial and ethnic communities of color in Illinois, and to strategize on solutions. The IDPH conference intersects with National Minority Health Month, which is observed every April. The Minority Health Conference theme of “Eliminating Health Disparities through Community Transformation” is aligned with the national strategy established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.

Gaps in health outcomes between communities of color and white communities in Illinois continue to exist in almost every major category. Non-whites have a lower life expectancy than whites in Illinois, according to census data. Also, the lack of access to health care as well as the incidence of certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS and certain cancers, remains disproportionately high in some minority communities in Illinois. For more information about the IDPH Center for Minority Health Services, visit http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/minority_hlth/default.htm. Follow the conference on Twitter using the hash tag #MHC2012.

Comments are closed.