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National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Chronic Disease Prevention
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National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Chronic Disease Prevention Home | Contact Us |
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CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION Commentary Why What We Do About Health Disparities Matters James S. Marks, MD,
MPH In our last issue, we began to explore the problem of health disparities among different racial and ethnic groups. Inequalities in health are a threat to our principles and a reflection of disparities in other areas such as living conditions, income, education, and access to health care. They also undermine our entire public health system. For example, the recent surge in new cases of diabetes, particularly among African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, demonstrates the economic and health impact of just one disease ("Comprehensive Approach Needed to Eliminate Diabetes Disparities"). This issue of CDNR outlines interventions that can eliminate health disparities, reminding us that the problems are not insurmountable. Our efforts do make a difference. The innovative programs featured in our cover story—including the Boston University Partners in Health and Housing project that works with public housing residents—show that new partnerships and approaches are possible. Other creative projects discussed in this issue are supported by CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH 2010) program, which emphasizes the creation of new coalitions. This program has enabled communities to improve the health of underserved groups and form relationships that can be strengthened in future collaborations. REACH 2010 meets another public health need as well. Because project activities are well documented and evaluated, they will help us understand what works in eliminating disparities. Good data are essential to identifying health disparities. In addition, communities sometimes need help translating data into useful public health action. Our article on new CDC guidelines for applying data to health disparities ("We Must Identify the Gaps Before We Can Close Them") discusses how the gap between data and action is being bridged. Bridging this gap is especially important when communities suddenly find that unfamiliar ethnic groups are their new neighbors. An influx of immigrants or migrant workers can disrupt a previously stable social support system. Many communities have found the demand for new or different services overwhelming. In such situations, learning from the experiences of others can be invaluable. In many cases, we find that the most important changes occur when community members simply get to know one another. The programs featured in this issue show that cultural and linguistic barriers can be overcome. The diversity of groups such as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders ("Diversity in Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities Poses Challenge for Health Care Providers") also teaches us that what we think is one community may be several, with varying customs and needs. Ensuring that health care practitioners can communicate with patients and their families is an essential first step that may require more time and effort than expected. And language is not the only barrier to communication, as illustrated by an insightful article on challenges faced by lesbians seeking health care ("Lesbians Face Many Barriers to Good Health Care"). Another important tool in the process of learning why health disparities exist and how they can be eliminated is prevention research. What we measure and how we measure it can make the difference. For example, risk factors such as tobacco use have a disproportionate effect on the black community ("Overcoming the Challenges of Eliminating Disparities in Tobacco Use"). Research must examine how populations groups are the same and how they are different. Eliminating health disparities means identifying such differences and the disparities they cause and filling the unmet needs. Fortunately, our public health system is capable of achieving these goals.
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Privacy
Policy | Accessibility This page last reviewed August 10, 2004 United
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