NHHF and NHMA Applauds Reintroduction of the Treat & Reduce Obesity Act

July 20, 2023

The National Hispanic Medical Association applauds U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Representatives Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) for reintroducing the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act. This bill is a critical first step to address our country’s escalating obesity epidemic and its disproportionate impact on Hispanic communities.

Our current healthcare policies deny millions from accessing the care they need to treat this chronic, deadly disease — perpetuating health inequities and preserving roots of systemic racism that have put access to healthcare out of reach for millions.

Gun Safety Legislation Needed in Congress

May 25, 2022

Yesterday's horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, represents our government's continued failure to act against gun violence. The National Hispanic Medical Association grieves the loss of 22 innocent lives in Uvalde, Texas - a community that is 83.5% Hispanic. As a key representative of Hispanic interests and well-being, NHMA is devastated by this senseless and preventable loss of life. The incessant waves of gun violence in our country will not cease until policymakers pass gun safety legislation to protect our society. NHMA calls upon policy-makers in Texas and the U.S. Congress to set aside personal interests and carry out the long-overdue work needed to protect their constituents.

Women's Reproductive Health Advocacy Needed NOW!

May 3, 2022

The NHHF and NHMA Board of Directors has called for advocacy for women's choice for healthcare, including abortion, given the threat of the Supreme Court's leak of an impending decision to overturn the Roe Law in October. We have sent statements to Congress to advocate for policies to allow reproductive health, including abortion, for all women who want it in the U.S.  We have also supported the Women’s Health Protection Act (S.4132) that is being debated this week in the Senate.

The majority of Latinos, like the majority of the population, believe that the decision to have an abortion should be left to a person in consultation with their family, their health care provider, and their faith. Latinos in this country are very supportive of access to reproductive health care, including safe, legal abortion. According to a poll commissioned by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, 67 percent of Latino voters do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, and 82 percent agree with people making their own decisions on the issue without political interference.

Rockefeller Partnership to Increase Vaccine Uptake in Houston, Texas

February 11, 2022

It is now widely understood that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted Latinos in the U.S., resulting in a higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and death than their white counterparts. Unfortunately, this extends to Hispanic children as well. In fact, a new study by the CDC found that Hispanic children were eight times more likely than white children to be hospitalized because of COVID-19. Expanding vaccination rates among Latino children and families is crucial if we want to ensure that this already vulnerable population can vigorously overcome the virus.

The Surgeon General's Call for Mental Health of Youth Focus

February 10, 2022

In a recent Surgeon General Report and at a Senate Committee Hearing this week, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, calls on policymakers and advocates to consider how COVID-19 has exasperated children's emotions, especially in underserved communities. We agree with his major recommendations to 1. increase awareness of the mental health needs of children; 2. support mental health programs in primary care practices and schools; 3. increase the mental health workforce, including clinical psychologists and psychiatrists, and recovery counselors; 4. educate our Latino and other communities about the impact of counseling and how to access mental health services.  We call on our partners to join us in our Annual Conference in March, the COVID-19 briefing in April, and a Policy Summit later this year to develop mental health policy recommendations, especially for our communities. 

Addressing Obesity in Adults

December 15, 2021

As the end of the year approaches and we make our resolutions for the new year, it’s important to focus on making healthier lifestyle choices. We know that taking care of your body through exercise and healthy eating can seriously stop preventable diseases like obesity.

The burden of obesity weighs on all of us Hispanics - Univision

By:  SINDY BENAVIDES, DR. ELENA RIOS, DR. YANIRA CRUZ
Published: December 13, 2021 
In a country of over 60 million Hispanics, the CDC reports approximately 44.8% of Hispanic adults in the U.S. live with obesity, the second-highest when compared to other ethnic or racial minority groups.

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The Epidemic of Childhood Obesity