On October 3, the Senate approved a resolution (H. Con. Res. 388), by unanimous consent, expressing the sense of Congress that a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month be established. H. Con. Res. 388 states that such a month “should be established to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other health disparity populations” in the areas of infant mortality, cancer screening, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and immunizations.
The resolution also expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should develop public service announcements on health promotion and disease prevention. In addition, health care professionals should be provided with information on “factors associated with health care utilization and access, patient attitudes toward health services, and risk and protective behaviors that affect health and illness…so that they may better communicate with all patients, regardless of race or ethnicity, without bias or prejudice.”
The same resolution passed the House on April 30 (see The Source, 5/3/02).
