April is when we acknowledge National Minority Health Month and National Public Health Week – two themes with the common thread of raising public awareness about health and health care disparities. What are the statistics? Most Americans believe we are the healthiest in the world but, according to statistics compiled by the American Public Health Association, we rank 34^th in life expectancy when compared to other high-income countries. Even our most advantaged people live shorter lives compared to peers in other countries. Compared to other high-income countries, the U.S. has:

• More people in poverty. We have higher rates of poverty, greater income inequality and less economic mobility.
• More people who are overfed and under nourished. Americans eat the most calories and two out of three are overweight or obese. Despite that, 37% of U.S. adults eat vegetables less than once a day and 16 million children go to sleep hungry at night.
• Lower high school graduation rates. It should come as no surprise that higher education equals better health, yet the U.S. ranks 21^st in high school graduation rates compared to other high-income countries.
• Nearly 50% of our population living in communities with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
• Less people living in areas with accessible places to walk, exercise, and play.

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How do demographics affect health care disparities? Within the U.S., there are vast differences in life expectancy based upon where we live, income, education, and race. Despite our country’s progress towards ending health care disparities, they still exist. Even though medical advances and new technologies have provided Americans with the potential for longer, healthier lives, persistent health disparities affect racial and ethnic minority populations. They are less likely to get the care they need to stay healthy, more likely to suffer from serious illness, such as diabetes or heart disease and, when they do get sick, they are less likely to have access to quality health care. Social, environmental and individual factors influence our health as well as the opportunity to make healthy choices. And inequities in these factors have greater impact among racial and ethnic minorities. Nearly 50% of Americans suffer from preventable, chronic disease, yet only 3% of health care spending is on prevention and public health programs.

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National Minority Health Month

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health, released under the leadership of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Margaret Heckler. This landmark report, commonly referred to as the Heckler Report, marked the first convening of a group of health experts by the U.S. government to conduct a comprehensive study of racial and ethnic minority health.

The milestone anniversary of the Heckler Report is an opportunity to focus on national and local efforts towards eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity, including legislative policy and actions such as the Affordable Care Act, the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, and the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities. What strategies have helped close the gap on health care disparities? Strategies such as the Million Hearts Initiative and the Let’s Move campaign are a step forward in fighting the epidemic of obesity, heart disease and stroke in the U.S.  Through new approaches, partnerships, and community-driven efforts, steps are being taken to close the health gap in our country. Evidence-based programs, integrated strategies, and best practices can move our country, and particularly the underserved populations, toward achieving health equity.

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