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September 2018
 September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Sickle cell disease
(SCD) is a group of inherited red blood disorders. SCD affects millions
globally and disproportionately impacts certain racial and ethnic populations
including African Americans, Latinos and people of Middle Eastern, Indian,
Asian and Mediterranean descent. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that SCD affects
approximately 100,000 individuals in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is
committed to reducing the burden of this disease. During National Sickle Cell
Awareness Month 2018, HHS will focus its efforts on helping to raise awareness
about the importance of sickle cell disease research and treatment. Federal,
state, local, tribal and territorial partners, people living with SCD, and family
and caregivers are encouraged to visit the National Sickle Cell Awareness Month webpage for more information about SCD,
downloadable social media graphics, resources and events occurring throughout
the month of September.
 Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM)
takes place every year from September 15 to October 15. HHM is
a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of the Latino
community in the U.S., raise awareness about
Hispanic/Latino health gaps, and provide a platform for national
Hispanic/Latino health organizations to discuss the challenges and
opportunities in helping end health disparities.
This year, the HHS Office of
Minority Health (OMH) will focus its efforts on building awareness about health
disparities in the Hispanic/Latino community and highlighting the
importance of Hispanic/Latino community participation in research studies to help scientists and
medical professionals better treat diseases. Visit the Hispanic Heritage Month observance page for more information,
resources and events occurring during the observance period.
 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity affects about 13.7
million children and adolescents in the U.S. While childhood obesity affects
all groups, it disproportionately affects certain racial and ethnic groups.
Racial
and ethnic minority children often live in communities where they face
challenges in access to affordable, healthy food or safe places to be
physically active, which contribute to higher obesity rates. National Childhood
Obesity Awareness Month will focus on raising awareness about the
childhood obesity disparity and promoting healthy lifestyle choices for every
member of the family. For access to resources, information and downloadable
graphics, please visit the OMH
childhood obesity webpage.
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 September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to shine a spotlight
on the types of cancer that largely affect children. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an estimated
10,270 new cases of cancer were diagnosed among children from birth to 14
years, and about 1,190 children are expected to die from the disease in 2017. Although
childhood cancer death rates have declined, cancer remains the leading cause of
death from disease among children. For information about the types of childhood
cancers, treatment options available, clinical trials and research, please
visit NCI's Childhood Cancer website.
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 Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
throughout the course of life is extremely important in managing health
conditions and understanding prescriptions. It is understood that people in the
U.S. are living longer, and many seniors lead active and healthy lives. During Healthy Aging Month, seniors are encouraged
to:
- Eat a
balanced diet
- Keep your mind
and body active
- Don't smoke
- Get regular checkups
- Practice safety
habits to avoid accidents and prevent falls
Visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
(HHS) Healthy
Aging resource website for information about staying active, remaining
active in the community, nutrition and more.
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 The National Institutes of
Health’s All of Us Research Program is a historic effort to gather data from one million or more people living in the U.S.
to accelerate research and improve health. The mission of the All of Us
Research Program is to speed up health breakthroughs by collecting health
information from one million participants. The information collected will be
used for future health studies to improve health. Visit the All of Us Research Program website to learn more about the valiant
efforts of NIH research and how you can participate.
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 The Office of Minority Health Resource Center - Knowledge
Center has developed an extensive collection of documents specifically related
to the health of minority populations.
The
online catalog provides a targeted collection on the topic of sickle cell
disease for both consumers and health professionals. Click here to see the most recent publications on sickle cell disease.
Click here to gain access to the Knowledge
Center’s Online Catalog to search all documents entered into the database or to
request additional information.
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