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Health Disparities Among Racial/Ethnic
Populations
Background
The life expectancy and overall health of most Americans have improved in
recent years thanks in part to an increased focus nationwide on preventive
medicine and dynamic new advances in medical technology. However, while
Americans as a group are healthier and living longer, the nation's health
status will never reach optimal levels when segments of the population
continue to suffer from poor health status. Despite great improvements in
the overall health of the nation, health disparities remain widespread among
members of racial and ethnic minority populations. Members of these groups
are more likely than whites to have poor health and to die prematurely.
Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease,
injury and violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced
by socially disadvantaged racial, ethnic, and other populations groups and
communities. These disparities are unjust, unfair and directly related to
the historical and current unequal distribution of social, political,
economic, and environmental factors.
CHAPS Approach
Recognizing that addressing health disparities is an integral part of the
CDC goals process, Community Health and Program Services (CHAPS) recently
engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning process for the development of
an unit within DACH and NCCDPHP focused on achieving health equity and eliminating health
disparities.
CHAPS enlisted the assistance of Global Evaluation & Applied Research
Solutions Inc. (GEARS) to conduct a series of strategic planning sessions to
develop a collaborative for promoting health equity and eliminating health
disparities. This collaborative will act as one expert entity within CDC for
addressing health disparities across national centers and other groups with
health disparities agendas. Further, the entity will serve as a resource and
leader on health disparities within CDC and as a resource for disseminating
and developing community based approaches for addressing health disparities
at the local and state levels.
Key Questions:
What is unique about the CHAPS Health Disparities unit?
- CHAPS addresses disparities from a socioecological perspective
(e.g., gender, class, environment, etc).
- CHAPS uses community based participatory approaches.
- CHAPS specifically focuses on uncovering best practices and tools
for eliminating health disparities.
What were the objectives of the CHAPS Health Disparities planning
sessions?
The health disparities strategic planning sessions were designed to
assist CHAPS with defining its role within the CDC framework,
dismantling categorical silos, addressing health disparities and
collaborating across organizational constructs. To accomplish these
goals, CHAPS has focused on achieving the following objectives in 2008:
- Create an operational definition of Health Disparities.
- Establish a mission and vision for a Health Disparities unit
within CHAPS and DACH.
- Establish a name, goals, objectives, and action steps for the
defined unit.
These efforts help CDC uncover and promote best practices for eliminating
health disparities.
Click here to learn more about
Health Disparities.
Page last modified: April 9, 2008
Content source: Division of Adult
and Community Health, National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion |
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