National Sickle Cell Awareness Month

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. During this month, we strive to increase awareness about sickle cell disease and the impact it has on minority populations.

This year, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) will highlight the strides that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have made since the launch of the Sickle Cell Disease Initiative in 2018. HHS has been working to advance sickle cell disease education and research, and will continue efforts to:

Break down barriers for those who seek treatment
Find a cure beyond bone marrow or stem cell transplant
Educate health care providers on how to identify and treat patients in pain crisis
Bridge the gap between sickle cell disease pediatric care to adult care for patients
Connect across various HHS agencies and with sickle cell disease advocacy groups to support

Visit the Sickle Cell website for downloadable materials, videos, upcoming webinars and health resources.

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Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) is a national observance recognized annually, beginning September 15 to October 15. This month, Hispanic Heritage Month 2019 will serve as a platform for creating awareness of health disparities that persist among Hispanics such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Heart disease and cancer in Hispanics are the leading causes of death, accounting for about 2 of 5 deaths. The lack of physical activity can increase the risk of these disparities.

This year the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) will focus on raising awareness on the importance of daily physical activity among the Hispanic/Latino community in an effort to improve health outcomes.

OMH will highlight the 2nd edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s Move Your Way campaign during the observance month.

Visit OMH’s HHM webpage for more information, resources and events occurring during the observance period.

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Food Safety Education Month

This month join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in observing Food Safety Education Month, and learn how to be a food safety superhero!

According to the CDC, every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from eating contaminated food. In order to avoid getting sick from foodborne illnesses, the CDC recommends the following four steps: 1) clean; 2) separate; 3) cook and 4) chill. These four steps to food safety are just some of the ways to protect yourself and your family.

For free materials to help you become a food safety superhero, head over to CDC's Food Safety Education Month website.

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National Childhood Obesity Month

One in 5 children in the U.S. are affected by obesity. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages families to make healthy changes together. Some tips to get started:

Help children get the recommended amount of physical activity each day. Find age appropriate activities here.
Make sure drinking water is always available as a zero calorie alternative to sugary beverages and limit juice intake.
Learn what you can do to help shape a healthy school environment.

Visit CDC’s National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month webpage to learn more about the observance and what you can do to help raise awareness.

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Knowledge Center

The OMH Knowledge Center online catalog provides convenient access to multilingual brochures and booklets for patients to learn about how to manage sickle cell disease. Review a recent selection of materials in the online catalog here.

Watch this video to learn more about the Knowledge Center’s online catalog and how to search for minority health information.