NCLR to Release Report on Chronic Disease Among Latinos

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                 Contact:
July 9, 2014                                                                         Kathy Mimberg
                                                                                             (202) 776-1714
                                                                                              kmimberg@nclr.org

How are Latinos faring with prevention and management of conditions that affect daily life?

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Tuesday, July 15, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) will host a telephonic press conference to release a report that examines the challenges in preventing and managing chronic diseases in the Latino community. With support from Boehringer Ingelheim and in partnership with public health consulting firm John Snow, Inc.(JSI), NCLR gathered information about the rates of chronic disease among the Latino community, the barriers and motivators faced in prevention and management efforts and the roles of health care providers and community resources in helping Latinos manage these conditions.
The report, “An Inside Look at Chronic Disease and Health Care among Hispanics in the United States,” is based on written surveys and focus groups of patients at community-based health centers across the country that belong to the NCLR Affiliate Network.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 133 million Americans—nearly half of the adult population—live with at least one chronic illness that affects their daily lives; chronic disease accounts for seven in ten deaths in the U.S. each year. The management of these conditions, many of which are largely preventable, consumes more than 75% of American expenditures on health care. With obesity rates of nearly 40%, Hispanics are at greater risk of developing diabetes and other chronic health conditions than non-Hispanic Whites. They are 50% more likely to die from diabetes and have three times the rate of new HIV infections when compared with non-Hispanic Whites.

As the Latino community grows to represent one-third of the U.S. population by 2050, so will the prevalence of chronic conditions that Hispanics face, such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, obesity and their complications. While many Latinos were recently able to obtain health insurance for the first time thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Hispanics remain the nation’s least insured group, with nearly one in three lacking coverage. Given that the rates and cost of chronic disease will continue rising as our nation’s population ages, addressing chronic diseases among Hispanics is key to improving our nation’s health and making effective use of resources.

To confirm your attendance, please contact Kathy Mimberg at (202) 776-1714 or kmimberg@nclr.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO:      Delia Pompa, Senior Vice President, Programs, NCLR
                Manuela McDonough, MPH, CPH, Associate Director, Institute for Hispanic Health, NCLR
                Rodolfo R. Vega, PhD, Senior Consultant, John Snow, Inc. (JSI)
                Amparo Nuñez, Project Director, Puentes de Salud, Hispanic Services Council

WHAT:    Telephonic press conference to release new report

WHEN:   Tuesday, July 15, 2014
                1:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Participant Call-in: 1 (866) 952-1907
                Conference ID: HEALTH
                Program Title: Chronic Disease Among Latinos

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

###