Health Disparities News and Research

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Health disparities (also called healthcare inequality in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups.

Administration to unveil first national HIV/AIDS strategy today

The White House will unveil the first formal national HIV/AIDS strategy on Tuesday, a plan that aims to reduce the number of new cases by 25 percent in the next five years, officials said. Noting that the number of new infections in the United States has been static -- and that the number of people living with HIV is growing -- the new policy would direct more resources toward African Americans and gay and bisexual men. Latinos and substance abusers should also be a priority, the report says.

14 Jul 2010

Co-morbidities, socioeconomic status impact survival rates in colorectal cancer

Blacks are surviving colorectal cancer at a significantly lower rate compared to whites and Asians due to co-morbidities and their socioeconomic status, according to research by epidemiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

13 Jul 2010

AHF to criticize President Obama's NHAS in a press conference

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, will host a press conference Tuesday, July 13th at 3:30 PM Eastern, to criticize President Obama's National HIV/AIDS Strategy which is being formally released in a White House press conference at 2pm Tuesday. The strategy, 15 months in the making, was crafted as the nation's AIDS Drug Assistance Program the federal and state funded, state run network of programs that supply lifesaving AIDS drugs to low-income Americans in need, collapsed.

13 Jul 2010

Multimedia talking touchscreens help end health disparities in underserved populations

Multimedia talking touchscreens, housed in computer kiosks at clinics and hospitals, are helping researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and clinicians at local health care centers enhance patient-centered care for patients with diverse language, literacy and computer skills.

12 Jul 2010

UMMC to partner with Mayo Clinic to discover new therapies, train new medical scientists

The University of Mississippi Medical Center will partner with the renowned Mayo Clinic on a series of initiatives intended to convert laboratory discoveries into new therapies and train a new generation of medical scientists.

9 Jul 2010

Latest health disparity report examines trend of higher tobacco use among LGBT community

The American Lung Association's latest health disparity report, Smoking Out a Deadly Threat: Tobacco Use in the LGBT Community, examines the trend of higher tobacco use among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the need for additional research specific to this community.

1 Jul 2010

Americans spend more on health and get poorer care: Report

According to a Commonwealth Fund report released this Wednesday, Americans spend nearly twice as much as people from other developed countries on healthcare but get lower quality of care, less efficiency and have the least equitable health care system. The comparison was drawn with six other countries, Britain, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand, and the United States ranked last. The report collected data from nationally representative patient and physician surveys in these seven countries in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

23 Jun 2010

HHS Secretary announces new $250M investment to improve health and well-being of Americans

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $250 million in new Affordable Care Act investments to support prevention activities and develop the nation's public health infrastructure.

19 Jun 2010

JHUSON joins Maryland Alliance to address Maryland's growing healthcare needs

The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing has taken a significant step in addressing Maryland's growing healthcare needs by joining the Maryland Alliance to Transform the Health Professions.

17 Jun 2010

Researchers establish link between air pollution and SDB

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health have established the first link between air pollution and sleep-disordered breathing, a known cause of cardiovascular diseases.

15 Jun 2010

Consortium formed to improve community disaster readiness and recovery through research programs

Leading Gulf Coast medical centers, universities and public health institutions from Miami to Houston have united to form a consortium to improve community disaster readiness and recovery through research programs targeting health disparities, disaster preparedness and environmental health.

14 Jun 2010

Study on health disparities and sexual orientation

A recent study conducted by Northeastern University's Institute on Urban Health Research found a significant number of health disparities in Massachusetts between heterosexual adults and gay, lesbian and bisexual adults.

11 Jun 2010

HITN launches Mi Salud Primero initiative that responds to health disparities of Latinos living in the U.S.

HITN announces the launch of "Mi Salud Primero" at the 53rd National Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday, June 13th, 2010. "Mi Salud Primero" is a comprehensive, multi-year initiative that supports First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. "Mi Salud Primero" and its 5 Step Challenge, responds to the health disparities of Latinos living in the U.S. and will become a key resource for the community it serves, promoting physical health via nutrition, exercise and preventative care, as well as provide much needed information on healthcare.

11 Jun 2010

Low-income African-Americans have higher risk of CKD: Research

African Americans with incomes below the poverty line have a significantly higher risk of chronic kidney disease than higher-income African-Americans or whites of any socioeconomic status, research led by scientists at Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging shows. Conducted in a racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of participants from the city of Baltimore, Md., the study could help researchers eventually develop strategies to prevent CKD in vulnerable populations.

9 Jun 2010

Finished school – better health for Indigenous Australians

A new report prepared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has found that indigenous Australians who go on to complete their school education fare much better health wise than those who do not.

8 Jun 2010

CSTE 2010 Annual Conference to focus on public health challenges

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 2010 Annual Conference will be held June 6-10 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. An array of experts representing federal, state, and local health departments will discuss issues ranging from last year's flu pandemic, obesity, food safety, health care reform, information technology, and the global response to disasters such as the Haiti earthquake.

5 Jun 2010

NIDDK awards Albert Einstein College of Medicine $9.5M for continuation of Diabetes Research and Training Center

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University a five-year, $9.5 million grant for the continuation of its Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC). The DRTC was also awarded a $632,000 supplemental grant for equipment and additional pilot and feasibility studies through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), bringing total NIH support to $10,177,000.

26 May 2010

3rd Annual Maywood Multicultural Farmers Market to feature health screenings, cooking tips

For years, Maywood residents traveled miles to the nearest grocery store to find a healthy selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. To help shorten their trips, Loyola University Health System and students from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine have teamed up with the Village of Maywood Special Events Committee, Maywood Public Library, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners Program and community residents to run the 3rd Annual Maywood Multicultural Farmers Market.

20 May 2010

Unhealthy coping behaviors lead to higher rates of physical health problems, earlier mortality

When people are under chronic stress, they tend to smoke, drink, use drugs and overeat to help cope with stress. These behaviors trigger a biological cascade that helps prevent depression, but they also contribute to a host of physical problems that eventually contribute to early death.

19 May 2010

Opinions: Gender-based violence and HIV; AIDS vaccine; Global NTDs; Responses to NYT HIV/AIDS articles

"Gender-based violence is a world-wide pandemic and directly affects the spread of HIV/AIDS. Fear of violence limits the ability of women and girls to choose their partners; to find out about a partner's HIV status or disclose their own; and to get medical or counseling services," according to a U.S. government editorial in VOA News.