Other Federal Programs

Minority Women's Health > Other Federal Programs

The burden of many health problems is especially heavy for minority women. The Department of Health and Human Services has an array of agencies and initiatives that address health disparities in minority populations and work towards reducing this disease burden. Below is a list of these resources. While all resources direct you to information about minority health, you will find a variety of topics, from domestic violence to cardiovascular disease.

1. CDC - Office of Minority and Women's Health - The mission of the Office of Minority and Women's Health in the National Center for Infectious Diseases is to assure that the burden and impact of infectious diseases among racial and ethnic minorities and women is acknowledged and addressed through research, surveillance, education, training, and program development. Of major concern are racial, ethnic, and gender health disparities in infectious diseases.

2. CDC - Office of Minority and Women's Health - Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative - NCID Hispanic/Latino Health identifies areas for future research, intervention, and policy development. In addition, the Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative focuses attention on Hispanic/Latino public health workforce development issues, and supports new and expanded training options. 

3. CDC's WISEWOMAN™ - Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation - The WISEWOMAN Program consists of 12 CDC-funded WISEWOMAN demonstration projects in states, territories, and tribes. Through these 12 projects, WISEWOMAN provides screening and lifestyle intervention for many low-income and uninsured women.

4. CDC/ATSDR Minority Initiatives Coordinating Committee (CAMICC) - The coordinating committee is composed of representatives from all the Health and Human Services (HHS) departmental minority health initiatives within CDC/ATSDR, and is responsible for coordinating the work of the four minority initiatives. CAMICC provides guidance and policy direction for minority health initiatives and provides leadership in developing and implementing plans to improve minority health nationally.

5. Excellence Centers To Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED) - To understand the causes and factors of these inequalities, the Agency for Health care Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded grants to nine "Excellence Centers To Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities" (EXCEED). Each center is investigating a different theme in an effort to identify and eliminate the causes of health disparities.

6. Healing Shattered Lives: Assessment of Selected Domestic Violence Programs in Primary Health Care Settings - Healing Shattered Lives is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.

7. HHS Minority Health Initiatives – This web site is a gateway to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health initiatives.

8. Indian Women's Health Initiative – This web site provides information to Indian Health Service providers and to consumers about American Indian and Alaska Native access to care, violence against Native women, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues.

9. Minority Women's Health Panel of Experts - The Office on Women's Health (OWH) established the Minority Women's Health Panel of Experts in response to its 1997 conference, "Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Partnerships to Improve Minority Women's Health." The panel is composed of physicians, clinicians, community advocates, and academics working in communities and health settings around the country that serve racially and ethnically diverse women.

10. National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) – This center leads, coordinates, supports, and assesses the NIH effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. The NCMHD works with the NIH Institutes and Centers and with other Federal agencies and grassroots organizations in minority and in other medically underserved communities to promote minority health.

11. Women & Infectious Diseases - CDC's Office of Minority and Women's Health supports research, education, training, and advocacy to reduce the infectious disease burden among women. The Office works to focus attention on the particular ways infectious diseases impact women, and on the appropriate gender-specific responses for prevention and education. Of particular concern is the impact of infectious diseases on conception, pregnancy, birth, and both maternal and infant mortality. 

Current as of December 2007