Expand the Health Care Reform Debate to Include Race Based Health Disparities Urges APRI, the Nation's Oldest Organization Representing Black Workers

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

WASHINGTON - BUSINESS WIRE

The A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) announced today it would launch a nationwide movement to eliminate race based health disparities as part of the efforts to overhaul the country's broken health care system.

"Now, more than at any time in recent memory, universal access to quality health care is gaining traction among candidates for national offices," said Clayola Brown, President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute. "While access is important to improving care it won't solve the problems confronting black people when they finally see a doctor. It's time to expand the national conversation to include eliminating health disparities so blacks can live as long and as rich a life as whites."

Racial disparities in health constitute a national crisis: Blacks live five fewer years than whites. Diabetes among blacks is 70% higher than among whites. Infant mortality rates are twice as high for blacks as for whites. The 5-year survival rate for cancer among blacks diagnosed with the disease is 44%, compared with 59% for whites. Black people account for 12% of the U.S. Population - and make up half of all the country's AIDS cases.

APRI will mobilize its own chapters as well as leaders from the health, business, labor and political worlds to expand the current debate around reform. APRI has pledged to recruit partners from the faith community and grassroots organizations, seek support from lawmakers, and launch innovative public education campaigns with black celebrities to become the catalyst for changing the health and health care dynamics in America. A new health care system must refuse to accept different outcomes for blacks as compared to whites.

The A. Philip Randolph Institute is the oldest AFL-CIO Constituency Group. It has 141 chapters in 32 States. August 1-5 in Oakland California, APRI held an educational conference focusing on health and health disparities. It attracted more than 800 participants, mostly black workers and union members.