LULAC Kicks Off Texas “Latinos Living Healthy” Health Fair
October 29, 2011
Contact: Paloma Zuleta, pzuleta@lulac.org, (202) 812-4477
Washington, DC – LULAC and Walgreens Stores partner to bring Latinos Living Healthy Health Fair to San Antonio, Texas with flu shot vouchers, and health screenings, for Hispanic families who often lack access to adequate and routine health care. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics are less likely to be under a doctor’s care; less likely to be prescribed appropriate medicines; less likely to have access to specialized care; and more likely to end up being treated in the emergency room in a crisis.
According to the Texas Health Institute, rates among Hispanics in Texas are higher than the national average with 1/12 of adults in Texas diagnosed with diabetes in 2008. The disease continues to be the 6th leading cause of death but the 4th among Hispanics in Texas. Further, more than 2/3 of new cases of diabetes in the US each year occur among Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans. By 2040 Hispanics will account for the majority of newly diagnosed diabetes cases.
“Because the statistics are not in our favor it is vital that our community gets the proper information and education to fight this disease,” said LULAC National President, Margaret Moran. “That is why a partnership with Walgreens Stores that brings health fairs to underserved communities is so important – in some cases, the health fair on Saturday might be the only health screening that a family receives all year.”
Latino children and youth are developing obesity-related diseases that are normally found in adults such as type-2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, treating children and adolescents for obesity-related diseases is estimated to be at $117 billion. According to the recent data from the American Diabetes Association, the Center for Decease Control and the National Institute of Health, 8.3% of the total U.S. adult population has diabetes. Among Hispanics, 11.8% are diabetic and more specifically, among Mexican Americans the rate is 13.3%. However, there are 7 million people in the U.S. that have diabetes and do not know it.
About the League of United Latin American Citizens: The League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest and oldest Hispanic membership organization in the country, advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating through 900 LULAC councils nationwide. For more information, visit www.lulac.org
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