The National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA) is the next step in the long and difficult journey toward equality in health outcomes for African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

The campaign, launched by the Office of Minority Health (OMH) will focus on health status and health outcomes among racial and ethnic minority populations.

Regional Conversations are the first step.

Beginning in October 2007, they will bring together local, State, Tribal, regional, and federal experts and practitioners from the private and public sectors to lay the foundation for a comprehensive, community-driven, sustained strategy.

The meetings will result in development, dissemination, and implementation of strategic objectives and tactical recommendations known as Regional Blueprints.

These Blueprints will form the basis for: improved communications on region-wide issues, collaborations among researchers, policy-makers, communities, and service delivery systems, and proactive support of programs that address the needs of minority populations impacted by health disparities.

During 2007, the NPA will work with communities across the Nation. NPA partners will conduct outreach, technical assistance, and other supporting activities for disparities elimination efforts among urban, rural, and suburban populations.

Regional Conversations will culminate in the 2009 Minority Health Summit sponsored by OMH. The Summit will build a renewed sense of teamwork across communities; share success stories and methods; demonstrate how model programs can be replicated or tailored for greater impact; and create methods, tactics, and ideas that support more effective and efficient action.

Results of the Summit will become part of the National Blueprint for Action, which will guide OMH and its public and private partners into the next decade.

The NPA will be complemented by OMH health disparities campaigns, which will help mobilize communities for action and call attention to critically needed health efforts undertaken by health departments and their community partners.

The term health disparities refers to the gaps in health status and health care across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.

The goals of NPA are to illuminate the compelling issues that impact health outcomes, identify action steps that partners can adopt and adapt for their target audiences, seek out and highlight promising practices that help eliminate health disparities and promote tools, programs and information sources for consumers, caregivers and health providers.

OMH is looking for partners willing to make a commitment to help develop, support, and implement this initiative.

Partners may include community- and faith-based organizations, professional societies, government agencies, national non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, foundations, corporations, businesses of all sizes, industry groups, and colleges and universities.

NPA partners must agree to support the goals of NPA and commit to help develop, plan, and implement efforts to reduce or eliminate health disparities.

To become a partner, an organization must agree to conduct at least one substantial activity during the course of the year that is intended to help achieve the campaign's goals of eliminating health disparities.

The activity must be described in sufficient detail so that others will understand the strategy, intended outcomes, and success measures that the partner will employ.

In addition, each NPA partner will appoint one representative as the main NPA contact.

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