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Cummings, Jackson Introduce Bill to Address Health Disparities
Legislation would enhance NIH efforts to reduce and eliminate minority health disparities
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Washington, DC—Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Jesse Jackson, Jr., (D-Ill.) introduced H.R. 2778, the Health Equity and Accountability Through Research Act of 2009, which would elevate the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) to the level of Institute, giving it the authority to better address the appalling health disparities that are plaguing our nation’s minority communities. NCMHD was created to promote minority health and lead, coordinate, and assess the efforts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. However, the Center’s current structure creates ambiguity regarding who has the responsibility and authority for coordinated minority health disparities research conducted or supported by NIH. Additionally, NCMHD currently lacks real input into and authority over all NIH-supported health disparities activities and funds.
To address these concerns, the bill would elevate the Center to the level of Institute, and clarify the role of the Director as coordinator and manager of the NIH-wide minority health and health disparities portfolio. The bill would also provide the new Institute with professional judgment over NIH-wide minority health and health disparities budgets as well as management over NIH-wide minority health and health disparities allocations.
“Whether African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, or Asians and Pacific Islanders, the minority populations in our country are more severely affected by diseases than our white counterparts across the board,” Congressman Cummings said. “Congressman Jackson and I are confident that elevating the NCMHD to the Institute level and providing its Director with clear authority over health disparity issues will empower NIH to better address the disparities that are killing our communities.”
“I was pleased in 1999 to author the bill that elevated NIH's Office of Research on Minority Health to the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Now it is time to take the next step,” Congressman Jackson said. “This bill would elevate the Center to an Institute and provide it with the authority and funding to track health disparities in this country. This bill will positively impact our understanding of health disparities among ethnic minorities and other medically underserved communities.”
According to recent statistics:
The language of H.R. 2778 is also included in the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2009, which was announced by the Tri-Caucus yesterday.
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