For Immediate Release
July 19, 2008
HOUSTON - The Sixth Annual Congressional Tri- Caucus Minority Health Summit convened today in Houston, TX with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) meeting with local minority health coalitions and regional and national public health officials and experts to examine strategies to address health and health care disparities among communities of color.
The Congressional Tri-Caucus Minority Health Summit seeks to build consensus on policies that address health disparities, to develop strategies for advocacy at the federal level, and to engage these communities in legislative action and outreach.
Despite stereotypes depicting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as "model minorities" who seldom face social ills, recent data shows that there are wide disparities in health coverage when compared to other racial and ethnic groups. From 2004 to 2006, 24 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and 31 percent of Korean Americans were uninsured. Cancer is the leading cause of death among Asians, yet recent data also show that Asian Medicare beneficiaries were less likely than whites to receive cancer screenings services. Also, Asian Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with diabetes were less likely to receive diabetic services across all age, sex, and socioeconomic groups, even though diabetes is more prevalent among Asians than whites and represents the fifth leading cause of death among Asians.
"Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face significant obstacles to obtaining quality healthcare and have higher rates of certain preventable diseases, such as hepatitis B and tuberculosis, than the general population," said Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Chair of CAPAC. "Our communities face cultural and linguistic barriers, and difficulty accessing health insurance. Approximately one-third of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders live in linguistic isolation, 21% are uninsured, and even more are underinsured. I will continue to work with my colleagues to pass H.R. 3014, the Tri-Caucus Health Equity and Accountability Act, to address these disparities."
Despite recent gains in the health field, disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status remain prevalent. For example, more than 70% of Latinos across the country are considered overweight or obese, including 25% of Latino children. Despite recent gains in the health field, disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status remain prevalent. For Hispanic women, the incidence of cervical cancer is two and half times higher than the rate of White women.
"Latinos are disproportionately affected by heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and as a result we must educate our community of the necessary health precautions. It all starts by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health care," said Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-CA), Chair of the CHC Task Force on Health and the Environment. "The effort of the Tri-Caucus sends a clear message that there is power in our numbers. I look forward to bringing the ideas and innovative methods we learned today back to Congress."
According to the Office of Minority Health, minority and low-income populations have a disproportionate burden of death and disability from cardiovascular disease. African Americans have the highest rate of high blood pressure of all groups and tend to develop it younger than others. HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact on minority communities. Racial and ethnic minorities accounted for almost 70 percent of the newly diagnosed cases of HIV and AIDS in 2002, and more than 90 percent of babies born with HIV belong to minority groups. In the African American community, HIV/AIDS has become an epidemic. African Americans accounted for more than 54 percent of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 2002, and African Americans are ten times more likely to die of AIDS than Whites.
"Myriad studies confirm that African Americans have been and continue to be disproportionately and detrimentally affected by all of the health inequities that exist throughout the nation's health care system," said Congresswoman Donna Christensen, Chair of the CBC Health Braintrust. "All of our nation's most pressing health and health care challenges, from HIV/AIDS to cancer; from diabetes to overweight and obesity; from infant and maternal mortality to uninsurance; and from poor mental and dental health to heart disease, leave African Americans disproportionately more likely than whites to be un- and under-insured, in poorer health, and more likely to prematurely die from preventable causes during their most productive life years." Concluded Congresswoman Christensen, who also is the only African-American physician currently serving in Congress, "The pervasiveness of these health disparities, which affect the health, well being and thus life opportunities of all people of color, are what have and will continue to inspire the Tri-Caucus to work together from common ground toward the common goal of health equity."
"Universal health care is the single most important civil rights issue of our time and we refuse to accept second class health care for our most vulnerable citizens," said Congressman John Conyers, Dean of the CBC. "It is clear that minority health disparities are the result of a health care system that favors the affluent and the healthy. I strongly believe that the only way to eliminate health disparities is to establish a system of universal health care that is affordable, accessible and high-quality for all Americans. For these reasons, it is essential that the Congressional Tri-Caucus speak with one voice on these vital issues."
The Sixth Annual Congressional Tri-Caucus Minority Health Summit is being organized by the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, the Houston Asian American Health Coalition, the Houston African American Health Coalition, the Houston Hispanic Health Coalition, the Houston Native American Coalition, the Center for Research on Minority Health at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, American Public Health Association, Families USA, the Kellogg Health Scholars Program at the Center for Advancement in Health, the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine, and Out of Many, One. Sponsors of the event include the American Legacy Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Sanofi-aventis, Sanofi Pasteur, Takeda Pharmaceuticals and US Asian Wire.
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