According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African-Americans suffer disproportionately from various health diseases. And according to the CDC, we not only are more likely to suffer from these illnesses, we are also more likely to die from them.
Here are the Top 5: Heart disease – about 600,000 Americans die each year of heart disease; cancer – Black men top the list as the highest population of new cancer cases and have the highest cancer mortality rate; stroke – the risk of having an initial stroke is twice as likely for Blacks and they are more likely to die as a result of the stroke than their white counterparts; diabetes – 29.1 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and 8.1 million of those individuals are undiagnosed; and unintentional injuries – thousands of Blacks die from accidents each year including motor vehicle crashes, suicides, falls, etc.
Not so honorable mentions:
While they are not in the Top 5 causes of death for African-Americans, homicides and HIV/AIDS are in the rundown of Top 10 killers.
Although African-Americans suffer disproportionately from and die as a result of various diseases, there is hope. Of all of the aforementioned diseases, more than half are preventable.
Here at the Recorder Media Group, we understand prevention starts with education, and from education comes empowerment that will not just change lives, but also save lives.
This is why we are hosting a Health & Wellness Fair this Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This event is in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and Brothers United and is sponsored by Eskenazi Health. All of our respective entities constantly work to educate the community, but this Saturday’s event is our attempt to make a larger impact by joining forces for the common cause of health education and empowerment.
But we can only do a portion – the rest is up to you; individuals who seek to learn more and make smarter life choices. As a community we have to become more engaged and proactive about our lives rather than uninterested and reactive.
During the health fair we will have dozens of vendors who represent various industries that will help improve your quality of life – from health-related booths, to information about technology, transportation, financial matters, etc. This Health & Wellness Fair takes a holistic approach toward enhancing your life.
Even if you’re well-informed about your health, this event will still be of interest to you because of the other things we have planned.
There will be a very informative panel discussion that focuses on HIV/AIDS. Panelists include members of the Indianapolis faith community, health experts, and HIV/AIDS advocates. The discussion is titled “A Community Disease” because it doesn’t impact a particular demographic in the Black community, it impacts the entire Black community. We have to stop being afraid to talk about issues that are uncomfortable… we must face these issues head-on.
In addition to all the informative things that will take place throughout the festivities, there will also be several giveaways with some really cool prizes and a fun Celebrity Fit Challenge featuring politicians, radio personalities, and members of the clergy and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. This is a must-see aspect of the fair!
I hope you will join us this Saturday!
