Prevention, Wellness, Education and Support

In 2003, the National Urban League began a new, stronger focus on health issues, prevention and health education. In particular, the movement is addressing some of the most pressing health-care concerns facing African-Americans today. The National Urban League's State of Black America 2004 reports that Blacks are impacted by higher rates of obesity, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and diabetes. Specifically:

• Blacks experience diabetes at twice the rate of whites
• Blacks are 10 times more likely to be HIV positive than whites
• Blacks are likely to be more obese than their white counterparts
• Blacks have an average life expectancy of 72 years versus 78 years for whites
• Blacks are less likely to have health insurance and likewise receive lower health care benefits throughout their lifetime

Not only is the African American community more susceptible to and less likely to recover from certain illnesses than other groups, there is an alarming lack of affordable healthcare available to help them do so.

To overcome these hurdles, National Urban League has been working with such organizations as The Center for Disease Control, the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and the American Legacy Foundation, among others, to address such health crises as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and depression. Two main initiatives are:

• The Lift Every Voice Diabetes Education Program - targeting the prevention and treatment of diabetes
• The National African-American Wellness Initiative - promoting proper nutrition, physical fitness, healthcare and prevention of disease through a new website launched in 2004

As a result, over the last year National Urban League provided diabetes testing and health-care education to over 130,000 people, and has raised awareness about everything from obesity prevention and smoking-cessation to obtaining health care/Medicare benefits.

Taking the term "early prevention" to heart, the League is currently counseling schools on how to provide healthful activities for their students.