April 23, 2019
April is National Minority Health Month, a time to call attention to the serious health disparities experienced by underserved racial, ethnic and geographic communities across the U.S. Cancer affects us all, but it doesn’t affect us all the same. Take a look at a few stats that illustrate these inequalities:
Rates of new cases and deaths
Screening
When these social determinants of health are compounded by low socio-economic status, access to preventive health care like cancer screenings can be difficult. A lack of reliable health care, dependable transportation or time off from work can all impact your access to health care. And when cancer isn’t detected early, it’s harder to successfully treat.
There is some good news: recent trends show some cancer disparities narrowing (for example, the cancer death rate for black Americans is declining faster than for white Americans). But we still have a long way to go—and it requires efforts on local, state and national levels to wipe out health disparities.
How can you create change? Help your community make cancer prevention a priority! Encourage neighbors, friends and family members to get screened—and offer them a ride to their appointment. A little support can go a long way in the fight against cancer.
Sources: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute (NCI), HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH)
No Comments