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Resolution
TO SUPPORT “ALLIES FOR LITTLE
HAVANA’S” EFFORTS TO RESPOND TO HEALTH
DISPARITIES
Whereas,
LULAC throughout its history has committed
itself to the principle that Hispanic Americans
have equal access to opportunities in
employment, education, housing and health car;
and
Whereas,
LULAC has supported the principle of equal
opportunities for economic development,
political influence, civil rights and the
general welfare for all Hispanic Americans in
the United States; and
Whereas,
the health status of the Hispanic community in
the United States has improved slightly however,
there remains serious challenges. In light of
growth of the Hispanic immigrant population in
the Little Havana area and increasing needs for
quality health care, Hispanics continue facing
historic and systemic barriers to access,
availability and affordability of health care;
and
Whereas,
Hispanics do not have adequate access to the
health care delivery system. Evidence suggests
that Hispanics are the largest group of
uninsured in the United States, with two out of
five Hispanics under the age of 65 uninsured.
Over 30 percent of Hispanics do not have a
family, doctor or clinic to visit when they need
care. Hispanic children have the lowest
physician visit rate in the past year, and
Hispanic have three times the rate of whites and
two times the rate of blacks for no regular
source of care. Moreover, there are unique
language and cultural barriers to health care
among Hispanic women, children, elderly
immigrants, and the Little Havana area
population; and
Whereas,
the Hispanic Little Havana community is
experiencing a widening racial disparity in
health characterized by lack of health
insurance, lack of culturally and linguistically
competent health systems and health education
information, increasing numbers of diabetes and
cancer cases, critical levels of alcohol
addiction, and alarming statistics of HIV/AIDS
infection. Clearly, Hispanics face serious
health conditions that are having a drastic
effect on the well being of our community. For
example:
-
Diabetes type 2 is three times higher among
Hispanics than non-Hispanics;
-
Cervical cancer is the highest among
Hispanic women;
-
Hispanic women have a poorer survival rate
from breast cancer than do white
non-Hispanic women mostly due to the advance
stage of the disease at time of diagnosis;
-
Hispanic men diagnosed with prostate cancer
have lower five-year survival rates than
white men;
-
Lung cancer and alcoholism are very serious
health problem in our community;
-
HIV
is the third cause of death among Hispanics
in the United States; and
Whereas,
public health agencies such as Jackson Memorial
Hospital; and community based organizations such
as Dr. Rafael A. Penalver Clinic, Hispanic
American Diabetes Foundation, Corazones Unidos
VIH/SIDA, United Seniors of America, Prevention
Community Newspaper, La Nueva Cronica Community
Newspaper, YMCA, LULAC Council 7063, have
traditionally and successfully partnered to
reach the underserved community of Little Havana
with health prevention, education, and social
and cultural services under the “Allies for
Little Havana a Service Partnership”; and
Whereas,
the implementation of cultural and linguistic
appropriate services is necessary to bridge
barriers to care Dr. Rafael A. Penalver Clinic
is recognize for nine years of continued success
in bringing quality and affordable health care
and extraordinary community programs to the
residents of Little Havana under its unique
service model “The Arts, Your Health and You”;
and
Whereas,
the Mission of the Hispanics American Diabetes
Foundation/ Youth Art Talent Program is to
establish a nexus between the community and the
arts by utilizing cultural educational centers
to raise awareness of diabetes education and
prevention through the arts;
NOW
Therefore, Be It Resolved, that
THE League of United Latin American Citizens,
LULAC, the nation’s oldest and largest advocacy
organization for Hispanic Americans, hereby
supports “Allies for Little Havana a Service
Partnership” and its community base
organizations (CBO’s) staging “The Little Havana
Community Fair” and the “Latin American HADF
Theater Festival” to be held in Miami in October
2005, to focus national attention on the Health
care crisis affecting Hispanics in the United
States and to seek solutions through
improvements in health education and prevention;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
LULAC calls upon companies involved in
delivering Healthcare to Hispanics including
pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors,
pharmacy retailers, hospitals, and other related
business entities to actively support, assist in
funding, and participate in campaigns with the
Dr. Rafael A. Penalver Clinic, the Hispanic
American Diabetes Foundation, and Corazones
Unidos VIH/SIDA to educate Hispanics of these
Healthcare concerns; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that the national membership of the League of
United Latin American Citizens support Council
7063 and Allies for Little Havana a Service
Partnership in their request from The City of
Miami, The Miami Dade County, The State of
Florida, The CDC and HHS, and The Children’s
Trust for funding for the implementation of
health prevention and community education
programs fro the Hispanic American community of
Little Havana to meet the goals of “Allies for
Little Havana 2008”.
Adopted this 2nd day of July
2005.
Hector M. Flores
LULAC National President |
