Program Will Address Health Issues of Blacks

Alarmingly high infant mortality rates. Thousands of people dying every year from prostate cancer, diabetes and heart disease. A lack of access to basic medical care.

In the first conference of its kind in Orange County, public health officials Thursday will address these and other social and health-related issues that impact the African American community.

During the one-day program sponsored by the Orange County Health Care Agency, an array of speakers will discuss a variety of topics ranging from rising AIDS rates within some segments of the black community to the feelings of isolation experienced by many African American youths who grow up in Orange County.

“I would have thought that in this day and age, when there have been medical breakthroughs across the board, we would have made greater strides,” said Dr. Vonnie Ross, an African American physician who directs a county drug abuse treatment program for pregnant women. “But African Americans are at the forefront when you look at things like diabetes, cancer and infant mortality rates.”

Ross, one of the scheduled speakers at the conference, titled “Focus on African-American Health in Orange County,” said she will deal mostly with infant mortality rates.

“That is the most significant topic for me,” Ross said. “It is a problem not only here but across the United States.”

In Orange County, blacks make up just 2% of the population. But conference organizers said the small numbers are all the more reason that public health officials need to expand outreach efforts to one of Orange County’s smallest ethnic communities.

“It’s such a small population (that) if we don’t focus on it, people’s needs will be lost,” said Barbara Holmes, a supervisor in the Health Care Agency’s tobacco use prevention unit and one of the program organizers. “The real significance of this event is that it’s the first time anything like this has been sponsored by Orange County public health officials.”

Dr. Hugh Stallworth, who became director of public health for the Orange County Health Care Agency in January, said the workshops will also try to offer solutions to some of the social and health problems that plague low-income African American communities.

“The stark reality is that African Americans are an endangered species in this country,” said Stallworth, an African American. “We’re trying to help people develop some control over their lives and show them that they have the power to make sure that they remain healthy.”

The program is scheduled for Thursday at the Sequoia Conference Center, 7530 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park. The event is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entrance fee is $40 and includes meals and conference materials.