Ohio forum addresses racial health disparities among children

More than 200 people met Thursday for a forum sponsored by Children's Defense Fund-Ohio to discuss ways to address racial health disparities among children in the state, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

A coalition of about 21 organizations already are working together to address the issue, and Thursday's forum aimed to attract more interest to the effort, Children's Defense Fund-Ohio Executive Director Ronald Browder said. Before the coalition formed, there was no one group pressing for overall change, Browder added.

Forum participants discussed such issues as disparities within various groups, such as high rates of asthma among Puerto Rican children, and access to care issues, such as quality of care.

Browder said on a national level, Children's Defense Fund is working to expand health insurance coverage under CHIP to children in families with incomes up to 300% of the poverty level. Ohio is set to do so in July (Crane, Columbus Dispatch, 4/3).