April is National Minority Health Month
Follow and join the conversation with #NMHM17 and #Bridge2Health.
During the month of April the HHS Office of Minority Health (@minorityhealth) leads the observance of National Minority Health Month. According to the OMH, it is a time to raise awareness on issues impacting health disparities and health equity in America. The conditions in the places where people are born, grow, live, work, play, learn, and age have significant impact on the health outcomes of individuals, families, and their communities. Throughout April, the OMH will highlight what some organizations and communities are doing to address the indirect conditions that affect health, also known as social determinants of health. By addressing the social determinants of health, the foundation of better health can be strengthened.
Bridging Health Equity Across Communities
The theme for 2017, Bridging Health Equity Across Communities, emphasizes the collaborative, community-level work being done across the nation to help achieve health equity. Minorities in particular are less likely to have access to preventative care, less likely to receive quality care, and more likely to face poorer health outcomes. The United Sates ends up paying $1.24 trillion in costs related to health disparities such as these. NMHM highlights the work that the HHS OMH and its partners do each and every day to build bridges creating healthier communities. By doing so they help improve the economy and make America more productive and competitive.
April is National Minority Health Month! Together we can bridge health equity across communities. https://t.co/1lR8jqhofT #NMHM17 pic.twitter.com/8fV7BP9r3h
— Minority Health (@MinorityHealth) April 1, 2017
Health Equity Day
Health Equity Day is celebrated on April 5th during National Minority Health Month. The National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities was established “to mobilize a nationwide, comprehensive, community-driven and sustained approach to combating health disparities and to move the nation toward achieving health equity.” Join the NPA in its celebration of Health Equity Day by spreading awareness around health disparities and promoting health equity. A quick and easy way to support the NPA is to take the National Health Equity Pledge and then share that you did on social media using #HealthEquityDay, #Im4Equity or #HealthEquityPledge. In addition, be sure to visit the NPA website to find out more about what they do and the organizations with whom they partner.
Get Involved
There are a number of ways to get informed, take action, and get connected this NMHM. Below is a list of some of the resources, opportunities and events to help you make the most of NMHM.
- In addition to perusing the NPA and NMHM sites, the Think Cultural Heath Website is a good resource for health care providers to learn how to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate health services or CLAS.
- Read and share this collection of blogs related to NMHM 2017.
- Use social media to spread the word and help inform others. The NMHM site provides hashtags to use, sample media posts and infographics to be shared on various social media outlets.
- Take part in the HHS OMH #Bridge2Health Twitter Town Hall on Wednesday, April 12 at 1:00 pm ET. Get your questions ready and chat with organizations who are fighting to end health disparities in their communities now.
- Participate in the NIMHD Twitter Chat onApril 25th from 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET.
- Sign up for the HHS OMH Health Equity Call to Action Thunderclap on Friday April 28th at 1:00pm.
- Receive email updates on OMH and health disparities issues by signing up for our newsletters.
