Events to help health issues

It is the first time the city and state agencies have combined activities.

staff report

YOUNGSTOWN —Minority Health Month and Public Health Week awareness activities will kick off here Monday with a health fair at the Youngstown City Health District.

The events, including free screenings and vendors with products and information, are aimed primarily at raising awareness of health issues in the minority community.

Minorities suffer disproportionately from various diseases and illnesses compared to the rest of the population, said Felicia Alexander of Youngstown, volunteer coordinator of the health department’s Monday event and minority health events throughout the month.

Many of the reasons that minorities have more illnesses are financial, said Neil Altman, Youngstown City Health District commissioner. “They wait too long to see a doctor because of no or inadequate health insurance,” he said.

“When you have to chose between going to the doctor or going to work to take care of your family, the doctor is not your first choice,” Alexander said.

To help level the playing field, Alexander said public health officials are urging minorities to come to Monday’s event and get the education and information necessary to take control of their health.

The health fair, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the health department, Renaissance Center, 345 Oak Hill Ave., includes 25 vendors with information and products, and free blood pressure and various other screenings. People who want to have cholesterol and sugar level tests should fast for eight hours before coming in, Alexander said.

Monday’s event marks the first time the city health department and the Ohio Commission on Minority Health have combined activities in Youngstown.

“We were fortunate to be designated by the state as coordinator of minority health month events,” Altman said. “One of the main reasons we sought a partnership with the minority health commission is that our health district serves the inner city.”

To further enhance services to minorities, Altman said his department has submitted an application with the state commission on minority health for a $100,000 grant to establish an office on minority health in Youngstown. He said the state is moving in the direction of establishing local minority health agencies, and the city should know this summer if the grant is approved.

Monday also begins the first full week of April, which is Public Health Week.

During the week, the health department tries to let the community know “what we are and what we do,” Altman said.

Public health services provided by the department that the public might not realize include inspection of food vendors, such as restaurants and stores and at local festivals; inspection of nursing and group homes; tracking air pollution, and enforcing the new smoking regulations in public places, he said.

alcorn@vindy.com