National Minority Health Month

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April is National Minority Health Month (NMHM), a time to raise awareness about health disparities that continue to affect people from racial and ethnic minority groups and encourage action through health education, early detection, and control of disease complications.

 

The theme for National Minority Health Month 2023 is Better Health Through Better Understanding. The goal is to have better health outcomes through creating a better understanding of the health-related issues that are higher in minority communities. 

 

According to https://nationaltoday.com/national-minority-health-month/ National Minority Health Month is observed the entire month of April. It is an inclusive initiative that targets the health needs of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and other minorities. It builds awareness regarding the unequal burden of preventable death and sickness in these groups. It also promotes action through health education and early management of disease complications. In a multicultural society such as the U.S., access to healthcare for everyone is paramount for the country’s continued progress.

 

HISTORY OF NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

 

The health and well-being of minorities are not just a modern-day concern. It had its roots many years ago when Booker T. Washington established the National Negro Health Week. Born on a slave plantation, he rose to become a leading African American educator. Washington believed that the key to the progress of African Americans was rooted in the connection between poverty and poor health. He advocated for economic progress not just through education but through improved living conditions that included better sanitation as well as access to healthcare.

 

In recent times, this has evolved into what is now known as National Minority Health Month. Launched by the National Minority Health Month Foundation, it strives to lessen the health disparities experienced by minorities in the U.S. Health disparities are the imbalance in the quality of health and health care experienced by groups based on their environmental condition, and their social, racial, ethnic, and economic status. These are often caused by inequalities based on income, as a poor person might not be able to seek the same medical care as someone with a higher income. Discrimination also contributes to this by prioritizing one group over another. The environment plays a part as well; people can’t eat healthy food if they have no access to it.

 

Now more than ever, minorities make up a huge part of the U.S. population. Taking their need to access proper health care seriously ensures that they can contribute not just to economic growth but enrich the country with their cultural contributions as well.

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