Washington, D.C., March 31, 2004—“Disparities in health present a grave challenge to the health of our nation. We are encouraged that leaders from both political parties have introduced legislation to address this growing crisis. The American Public Health Association recognizes this significant opportunity, calls for broad support of these initiatives and urges Congress to act this year to eliminate health disparities.
“Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and gender unmistakably matter when it comes to health. Education level, geographic location, disability and sexual orientation also influence health status. Minorities, low-income families, women and those most affected by disparities bear a disproportionate burden of premature disease and death. These disparities also come at considerable cost to our society and contribute to the rising costs of health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
“We cannot afford to delay action. We are well aware of widening gaps in disparities. It is time to move aggressively forward to address this serious problem. We urge Congress to act on meaningful legislation before the year is out.”
National Public Health Week, held April 5-11, will focus on eliminating health disparities and will highlight community solutions to disparities. The week is organized by the American Public Health Association. More information is available at www.nphw.org.