Our collaborative bilingual video — Why Hispanic Representation Matters — was a "Silver Winner" at both the 2024 W³ Awards and the 45th Annual Telly Awards! The video, created by Genentech with help from the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, the team behind Salud America!, shows why Latino participation in clinical trials is important for the future of clinical research. Clinical trials are studies with volunteers that can help researchers learn how to slow, manage, and treat different cancer and disease. “This massive underrepresentation of Latinos in clinical trials makes it hard for researchers to develop new treatments for this group, which suffers a heavy burden of cancer,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the ...
Latinos have endured generations of systemic inequities due to racism and discrimination. Over the years, institutions, structures, and policies have given rise to gaps in housing, income, education, and more, which lead to higher risk for diseases like cancer. Even though these disparities persist, policymakers are pushing for change. On July 17, 2024, the Biden White House announced several new policies to expand opportunities for Latino communities, including increasing access to higher education. Let’s investigate some of these policies and how they endeavor to help Latinos.
Increasing Educational and Economic Gains Through Hispanic-Serving Institutions
More than 500 Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) that span across 27 states, the District of Columbia, ...
Signs of cognitive impairment and early dementia among Latinos and other people of color are often missed by healthcare providers in busy primary care settings. Now, a new test could help improve cognitive care for these patients. Recently, Dr. Joe Verghese and researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine created a culturally unbiased cognitive assessment tool called 5-Cog. The 5-Cog, which takes five minutes to complete, could help identify cognitive concerns and open avenues for diagnosis and treatment for dementia, according to a news release from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Let’s explore the new test and how it could benefit Latinos with dementia.
How Does the 5-Cog Work?
The 5-Cog test is for older adults who have concerns about their cognitive ...
Latinos continue to be one of the fastest growing populations in the US. Between 2022 and 2023, Latinos accounted for 71% of the population growth in the US, according to new data from the US Census Bureau. Latinos now make up 19.5% of the country’s population. The rise, occurring at an annual growth of 1.8% and attributed to a large number of births, makes Latinos the second largest racial/ethnic group in the US. Let’s unpack some of the statistics and what they mean for the future of Latinos.
US Latino Population Growth
In 2023, the Latino population grew by 1.16 million for a total of 65 million. Latinos contributed significantly to the overall population growth in the US, which increased by 1.64 million. “The Hispanic population is ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, shares insights on Latino health on a new episode of the CDC's Listen Up! podcast series for health communicators, by health communicators. In her episode, "Not a Monolith: Empowering Latino Health," Ramirez covers Latino culture and health. She also shares the importance of Salud America! Salud Heroes, how to take action to improve the social determinants of health, and how to build trust and wellbeing within Latino communities. Listen to Ramirez's episode. See the full Listen Up! podcast series, hosted by Dr. Betsy Mitchell in CDC’s Office of Communications. "It's family, faith, and language that are key, important cultural issues to keep in mind [when sharing health messages to empower Latinos]," ...
327 people in the US are shot every day — 117 don’t survive, according to statistics provided by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Incidents of gun violence have been on the rise over the last decade, impacting the lives of 54% of US adults and their families. With spike in gun-related deaths, including suicides, homicides, and accidental deaths, gun violence has now become the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. In the wake of mass shootings, gun-related suicides, and the mounting fear over gun violence, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared gun violence in the US a public health crisis on June 25, 2024. “Firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis that has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and ...
When the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, jobs went virtual and educational institutions switched to online learning. Many people struggled to financially to pay for Internet to meet these demands. In response to the need for affordable internet access, the government established the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program) to temporarily help low-income households pay for broadband service through reimbursement and discounts. For a long-term solution to the internet service affordability problem, Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to replace the EBB Program in late 2021. Funding for the program ended at the beginning of 2024, and the program provided its final month of assistance in April 2024, leaving thousands of ...
Federal regulators recently published a final rule to expand healthcare for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and certain other noncitizens. The rule – which modifies the definition of “lawfully present” – essentially opens enrollment in the healthcare marketplace to those in the DACA program, many of whom are Latinos. The ruling will take effect on Nov. 1, 2024. Salud America! members were among 530 people who submitted a public comment last year to support this expansion of healthcare access to DACA recipients. “This overdue step is a critical victory for equitable access to health care,” according to the National Immigration Law Center. Let’s dive further into what this ruling means and how it will impact Latinos.
What is DACA? ...
With heat reaching record-breaking numbers every summer in some states, evidence points to our climate changing. For instance, Florida saw its hottest year on record since 1895 when the surface temperatures reached 177 degrees in places. Heat indices rose to triple digits multiple days in a row in Texas, making 2023 the second-hottest summer on record. In the wake of extreme heat, weather experts have advised people to limit their time outside when the sun is out, especially for the population’s most vulnerable people like seniors and children. But what about those who can’t escape the heat? Despite the weather, outdoor workers are braving the elements to provide a valuable service to support their families. Many of these workers are Latino. While ...
