- Mission [1]
- A critical area emphasized by both the Department and the Advisory Committee is improving the health of racial and ethnic
minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities. Despite
modest improvements in minority health in recent years, in some areas the disparities for racial and ethnic minorities remain
the same or have increased. HHS agencies are currently working on Healthy People 2010, the nation s public health agenda for
the current decade, and a major focus is on not just reducing, but eliminating disparities in health among all populations
by 2010. In support of Healthy People 2010, and as part of its charge to advise HHS through the Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Minority Health (DASMH) on the development of Office of Minority Health goals and specific program activities for improving
the health of racial and ethnic minority groups, the Advisory Committee on Minority Health held meetings that were open to
the public and developed recommendation reports on reducing health disparities by promoting patient-centered culturally and
linguistically sensitive/competent health care and ensuring that health care reform will meet the health care needs of minority
communities and eliminate health disparities -- a statement of principles and recommendations. These reports were submitted
to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Minority Health and transmitted to the Secretaryt through the Assistant Secretary for
Health on June 9, 2009 and August 12, 2009, respectively.
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