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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in HealthDespite great improvements in the overall health of the nation, Americans who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups, including African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Pacific Islanders, are more likely than whites to have poor health and to die prematurely, as the following examples illustrate:
Death Rates* for Diseases
* Age adjusted rate per 100,000 population.
[A text version of this map is
also available.]
Prevalence of Diabetes,* by
* Age adjusted prevalence among U.S. adults age 20 or older.
[A text version of this map is
also available.]
Because racial and ethnic minority groups are expected to comprise an increasingly larger proportion of the U.S. population in coming years, the number of people affected by disparities in health care will only increase without culturally appropriate, community-driven programs to eliminate these disparities. To be successful, these programs need to be based on sound prevention research and supported by new and innovative partnerships among governments, businesses, faith-based organizations, and communities. CDC's Leadership RoleHealthy People 2010, which describes the nation’s health objectives for the decade, has as one of its goals eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a major leadership role in carrying out the goals set forward in this initiative. Launching REACH 2010Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 is the cornerstone of CDC’s efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. Launched in 1999, REACH 2010 is designed to eliminate disparities in the following six priority areas: cardiovascular disease, immunizations, breast and cervical cancer screening and management, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and infant mortality. The racial and ethnic groups targeted by REACH 2010 are African Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Pacific Islanders. REACH 2010 supports community coalitions in designing, implementing, and evaluating community-driven strategies to eliminate health disparities. Each coalition comprises a community-based organization and three other organizations, of which at least one is either a local or state health department or a university or research organization. REACH 2010 grantees are using local data to implement interventions that address one or more of the six priority areas and target one or more racial and ethnic groups. The activities of these community coalitions include continuing education on disease prevention for healthcare providers, health education and health promotion programs that use lay health workers to reach community members, and health communications campaigns. In fiscal year 2003, CDC funded 35 REACH 2010 projects and supported the new emphasis on projects in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Five REACH 2010 core capacity-building projects in American Indian and Alaska Native communities in Albuquerque, NM; Oklahoma City and Talihina, OK; Anchorage, AK; and Nashville, TN, received continuation funding. Funding for REACH 2010 in 2004 will be $37.3 million. Working With PartnersSeveral agencies and offices within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have played critical roles in planning, coordinating, and supporting the REACH 2010 program. In an enormous show of support, the National Institutes of Health contributes $5 million annually to support REACH 2010 projects. Other partners within HHS include the Office of the Secretary, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Administration on Aging, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. REACH 2010 also receives support from public and private agencies. For example, the California Endowment supports the implementation and evaluation of two California coalitions addressing disparities. Evaluating REACH 2010The REACH 2010 evaluation model uses the following five stages to guide the collection of qualitative and quantitative data:
The REACH Information Network (REACH IN) is an Internet-based tool customized for REACH 2010 grantees to enter, store, and retrieve data for stages 1, 2, and 3 of the evaluation model and to generate graphs and reports on local activities. REACH IN also allows coalitions to share information. Data from the REACH 2010 Risk Factor Survey provide important information on the health status of residents in REACH 2010 communities that have programs focused on breast and cervical cancer prevention, cardiovascular health, and diabetes. Communities will use this information to evaluate stages 4 and 5 of the model. Positive behavior changes that have reduced health risks among REACH 2010 communities to date include increases in the percentages of community members receiving mammograms, Pap smears, and cholesterol and glycosolated hemoglobin screenings. These changes have helped to reduce disparities in cholesterol and blood sugar screenings. REACH 2010 Projects in ActionA critical part of the REACH 2010 strategy is to test the effectiveness of programs improving the health of racial and ethnic minority populations. The following are examples of REACH 2010 projects: California — Targeting cervical cancer among Asian Americans Oregon — Targeting cardiovascular disease among African Americans
South Carolina — Targeting diabetes among African Americans Massachusetts — Targeting diabetes in Hispanics Future DirectionsWorking in partnership with local communities, CDC has made substantial strides in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health. REACH 2010 will begin working with communities to plan and develop strategies for disseminating lessons learned. Applying these lessons learned will help future programs increase their effectiveness in eliminating health disparities nationwide. In addition, CDC and REACH 2010 will continue to assist communities in collecting local data that will help them evaluate community-specific strategies to reduce or eliminate health disparities.
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Policy | Accessibility This page last reviewed August 10, 2004 United
States Department of Health and Human Services |
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