FACT SHEET

Contact: Office of Minority Health
(301) 443-5224

HHS and Partners Seek to Eliminate
Health Disparities Among Minority Populations

Overview: Closing the Health Gap is an educational campaign designed to help make good health an important issue among racial and ethnic minority populations, who are affected by serious diseases and health conditions at far greater rates than other Americans. In 2002, HHS and its founding partner, the ABC Radio Networks, launched the campaign with a series of health messages for African American communities. In 2003, the campaign expanded its focus to bring the best health information to more communities, including Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.

Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day, the third Tuesday of each September, has become a key element of the campaign. The focus of the day is to encourage individuals to take charge of their health by visiting a health professional (doctor, nurse, dentist, nurse practitioner or other health provider), making an appointment for a visit, attending a health event in the community or helping a friend, neighbor or family member do the same. HHS and its partners also encourage communities around the country to organize health events on this day. This year, Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day is September 21. Leading the effort for a third year as chairperson is nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner.

The partnerships being created among HHS and many national and local organizations aim to inform and educate communities of color about the health gap, empower individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles and obtain access to health care. Closing the Health Gap supports HHS' efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities and promote the goals of Healthy People 2010, the nation's agenda for improving public health. It also advances the HHS Steps to a HealthierU.S. program and the President's HealthierU.S. Initiative, which aims to provide the public with the health information needed to live healthier lives.

Background

As part of its Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health, HHS focuses on six major areas in which racial and ethnic minorities experience serious disparities in health access and outcomes — diabetes, heart disease and stroke, cancer, infant mortality, child and adult immunizations and HIV/AIDS. Through Closing the Health Gap, HHS will air health education segments that address the major focus areas of HHS' health disparities initiative, as well as other health issues that are critically important to people of color.

Partnerships

Building upon the momentum of the past two years and the expansion of the Closing the Health Gap campaign, HHS is seeking additional partners to assist in reaching all racial and ethnic minority populations.

Statistics at a Glance

There are continuing disparities in the burden of illness and death experienced by African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Alaska Natives, as compared to the U.S. population as a whole. A statistical review of the disproportionate toll of certain diseases on racial and ethnic populations highlights the need for prevention, treatment and resources toward reducing the loss of life. The following statistics provide an overview of health disparities impact. For additional information, please visit our Web site at http://www.healthgap.omhrc.gov or call 1-800-444-6472.

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Life Expectancy and Death Rates (2001 data)

African Americans

• Life expectancy for the White population exceeds that of the African American population by 5.5 years
• Life expectancy for African American males is 68.6 years vs. 75.0 years for White males
• Life expectancy for African American females is 75.5 years vs. 80.2 years for White females
• Age-adjusted years of potential life lost before age 75 for African Americans was 12,579.7 years vs. 6,970.9 years for non-Hispanic Whites
• Age-adjusted death rate for the African American population was 30.6% higher than for non-Hispanic White population
• 287,709 African Americans died in 2001

Hispanics

• Life expectancy data are not available for this population but age-adjusted years of lost life before age 75 for Hispanics from: 1) diabetes was 212.7 years vs. 151.0 for non-Hispanic Whites; 2) liver disease was 247.7 years vs. 153.0 for non-Hispanic Whites
• Age-adjusted years of potential life lost before age 75 was 5,982.2 years vs. 6,970.9 years for non-Hispanic White population
• Age-adjusted death rate for the Hispanic population was 21.9% lower than for non-Hispanic White population
• Death rates for the Hispanic population were greater than for the non-Hispanic White population for four of the leading causes of death: chronic liver disease (75% higher), diabetes (66% higher), HIV (195% higher), and homicide (107% higher)
• 113,413 Hispanics died in 2001

American Indians/Alaska Natives

• Life expectancy data are not available for this population but age-adjusted years of lost life before age 75 for American Indians/Alaska Natives from: 1) diabetes was 297.3 years vs. 151.0 for non-Hispanic Whites; 2) liver disease was 506.0 years vs. 153.0 for non-Hispanic Whites, 3) HIV was 88.1 years vs. 71.0 for non-Hispanic Whites; 4) accident was 1,632.0 years vs. 1057.1 for non-Hispanic Whites; 5) suicide was 420.6 years vs. 405.3 for non-Hispanic Whites; 6) homicide was 287.0 years vs. 160.1 for non-Hispanic Whites
• Age-adjusted death rate for American Indians was 686.7 per 100,000 vs. 842.9 for non-Hispanic Whites. (CDC estimates American Indian death rates are underreported by 20.6%.)
• 11,977 American Indians died in 2001

Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders

• Life expectancy data are not available for this population but age-adjusted years of lost life before age 75 for Asian Americans from stroke was 198.8 years vs. 170.6 for non-Hispanic Whites
• Age-adjusted death rate for Asian Americans was 492.1 per 100,000 vs. 842.9 for non-Hispanic Whites. (CDC estimates Asian American death rates are underreported by 10.7%.)
• 37,048 Asian Americans died in 2001