DELAWARE– The General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a concurrent resolution to formally recognize April as National Minority Health Month.
The resolution looks to bring awareness to the healthcare obstacles faced by Delaware’s minority populations – including a disproportionate risk of premature death.
While the state has made improvements in recent decades, legislators say factors like gun violence, diabetes, and maternal health continue to impact minority populations at a higher rate.
“Public awareness and culturally relevant health education, disease prevention, and health care services are essential to improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities,” the resolution says.
The U.S. Congress recognized National Minority Health Month through a concurrent resolution in 2002. The observance was established by author and educator Booker T. Washington in 1915, according to the National Institutes of Health.