April is Minority Health Month

Minority Health Determines
the Health of the Nation

Increasing CDC's Impact on Health Equity

The future health of the nation will be determined to a large extent by how effectively we work with communities to eliminate health disparities among those populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease, disability, and death.

Persistent health disparities in our country are unacceptable and correctable.

CDC's Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE)

About CDC's Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE)
Information on the name change and organizational re-alignment, OMHHE's mission, goals, functions, & more.

OMHHE Fact Sheet
1-page summary of OMHHE's mission, goals, structure, & more.

OMHHE Leadership
Director and Deputy Director profiles, organizational structure, staff list, & office history.

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Evolution of Minority Health in America

Peruse a historical timeline of major events that had a significan impact on the evolution Minority Health in America, dating back from 1787 to the present day.

A Poster Highlighting some of the dates is available for download.

History of Minority Health at CDC

CDC's Office of Minority Health was established by the CDC Director on August 8, 1988, as a small coordination office, set up in response to Secretary Heckler's 1985 landmark report on minority health.

10 years later, the office went through the 1st of many strategic redirections, and continued to transform over the next 7 years to become CDC's Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities (OMHD) in September of 2005, with established programs now serving a broader focus of expanded populations.

OMHD was later strategically aligned within the Office of Strategy and Innovation to establish the CDC Goals and ensure Health Disparities were being addressed and incorporated into all CDC work and agency goals.

In 2008 OMHD was moved to the Office of the Chief of Public Health Practice (OCPHP), to be best positioned to accelerate health impact for vulnerable populations in the US, with a focus to develop CDC-wide health disparity elimination strategies, policies, and programs.

In 2010, the CDC restructure initially partnered OMHD with the Office of the Associate Director for Program (OADPG), with whom it shares a close collaborative relationship today, working to ensure all CDC Programs address health disparities at all levels, through planning, performance, accountablility, and program evalutation.

At the begining of 2011, the office transforms once again, to emerge as the new Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE), placed in the CDC Office of the Director (OD), and led by Dr. Leandris Liburd.

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Examples of CDC Programs Addressing Disparities

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HHS OMH Observes Minority Health Month

National Minority Health Month, April 2011

Minority Health & School Food - the Link

The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
Office of Minority Health (OMH) highlights the importance of healthy food at school / in school lunches for this year's Minority Health Month observance.

Bring It or Buy It - Make Lunch Healthy, Green & Good!

In Schools, even Food can Teach Us a Lesson

Minorities participate in great numbers in the school lunch program; therefore, school food is a critical social determinant of the health of minority children.

Diabetes, extreme weight gain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are all traced back to food consumption and lack of physical activity. School food is a critical social determinant of the health of minority children.

HHS OMH Minority Health Outreach Week ~ April 4-9, 2011 - Chicago

Heroes for Healthy Schools!

Coming Together for Student Wellness and Achievement

HHS OMH and Healthy Schools Campaign are kicking off Minority Health Month with a weeklong series of events in Chicago, showcasing the essential role of partnerships to create healthy learning environments.

HHS Launches Plan to Reduce Health Disparities!

HHS unveilled its roadmap for reducing health and health care disparities, a comprehensive effort to address differences in health for racial, ethnic, and other underserved communities, and launched the National Partnership for Action's National Stakeholder Strategy on August 8th, 2011 in Washington DC. View the Webcast of the Launch!
Learn more about the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities!
Learn More about the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity!
Learn More about the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA).

HHS Plan Released

In response to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a plan to improve health factors at the community level, including data collection, workforce development, treatment and prevention, for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

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