National Urban League and Walgreens Launch Mobile Health Screening Tour at the 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade & Black Heritage Festival
Posted on: Monday, 15 January 2007, 18:02 CST
MIAMI, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to promote early detection and raise awareness of preventable diseases in urban communities, the National Urban League and Walgreens have partnered to launch a nationwide, educational health screening bus tour. The National Urban League and Walgreens Wellness Tour will provide free health screenings to 27 urban communities across the country as part of a 12-month mobile health campaign.
A 38-foot customized bus will feature five free screenings, worth more than $100 in value. All screenings take place inside the customized vehicle and include screenings for blood pressure, bone density, glucose levels, cholesterol levels and body mass index. Visitors to the bus will also receive informational materials to empower them to take charge of their health.
"The Urban League of Greater Miami is proud to partner with Walgreens to provide these beneficial screenings to our community," said Affiliate President T. Willard Fair. "We know the services we are providing through this tour have the potential to save lives, and we are pleased to offer this opportunity to individuals who otherwise may not have had access to basic health screenings."
People in urban communities, particularly minorities, experience disproportionately higher rates of preventable disease. The National Urban League's State of Black America 2004 reports that Blacks are impacted by higher rates of obesity, substance abuse and diabetes. Specifically:
-- Blacks experience diabetes at twice the rate of whites -- Blacks are likely to be more obese than their white counterparts -- Blacks have an average life expectancy of 72 years, versus 78 years for whites -- Blacks are less likely to have health insurance and likewise consequently receive lower health care benefits throughout their lifetime
Additionally, according to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 10 percent of all Hispanic/Latino Americans (2 million) have diabetes. Hispanic/Latino Americans are twice as likely to have diabetes than are Caucasian Americans. Other facts about Hispanic/Latino Americans and diabetes include the following:
-- Diabetes is twice as common among Mexican Americans and Puerto Rican Americans than among Caucasian Americans -- Obesity and physical inactivity are the main risk factors for diabetes among Hispanic/Latino Americans
Not only is the minority community more susceptible to certain illnesses and less likely to recover than other groups, there is an alarming lack of affordable healthcare available to them.
Many diseases can be detected through screenings long before any symptoms are noticed, which is why awareness is so important to remaining healthy. The National Urban League and Walgreens Wellness Tour will encourage consumers to act as their own health advocates by visiting the wellness bus when it stops in their city.
FOR COMPLETE SCHEDULE CALL TOLL FREE 1.866.484-TOUR About Walgreens
Walgreen Co. is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2006 sales of $47.4 billion. The company operates 5,580 stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico, including 76 Happy Harry's stores in Delaware and surrounding states. Walgreens also provides additional services to pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives (a pharmacy benefits manager), Walgreens Mail Service, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy and Walgreens Home Care.
About the National Urban League
National Urban League ( http://www.nul.org/ ) Established in 1910, The Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. Today, the National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the non-partisan efforts of its local affiliates. There are over 100 local affiliates of the National Urban League located in 35 states and the District of Columbia providing direct services to more than 2 million people nationwide through programs, advocacy and research.
Walgreens
CONTACT: For more information about the tour contact: Rebecca Murray forWalgreens, +1-312-546-5880, Rmurray@marketingwerks.com
Source: PRNewswire
Related Articles
- American Health Assistance Foundation & Asbury Methodist Village to Host Special Community Screening and Discussion of the HBO Series, The Alzheimer's Project
- American Health Assistance Foundation & Asbury Methodist Village to Host Special Community Screenings and Discussion of HBO Series The Alzheimer's Project
- National Council on Aging and Medicare Diabetes Screening Project Launch New Program to Educate Seniors about Medicare's Benefits for Diabetes Screening
- American Diabetes Wholesale Recognizes National Diabetes Month With the Launch of DIY Diabetes and Free Subscriptions to Diabetes Self-Management Magazine
- National Diabetes Month Book Suggestions From Black Expressions(R) Book Club
- dLife Launches National Diabetes Month, November 2008, at Health 2.0 Conference in San Francisco
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Endorses National Diabetes Goal
- National Business Coalition on Health Issues Report on Health Plan Diabetes Performance
- American Diabetes Association Strongly Supports Recently Introduced Diabetes Screening and Medicaid Savings Act
- NetWellness Unveils Expanded African American Health Site at Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust Public Forum on Health Disparities at Case
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds