Celebrate Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month!

Learn about health initiatives and campaigns important for Hispanic health.

Hispanics or Latinos are the largest racial/ethnic minority population in the U.S. About 1 in 6 people living in the U.S. are Hispanic (almost 57 million). In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1989 by Congress to a month-long celebration, September 15 – October 15.

Promotores de Salud/ Community Health Workers

Promotores de salud, also known as promotoras, is the Spanish term for "community health workers." The Hispanic community recognizespromotores de salud as lay health workers who work in Spanish-speaking communities.

AMIGAS
AMIGAS stands for "Ayudando a las Mujeres con Información, Guía y Amor para su Salud." In English, this means "Helping Women with Information, Guidance, and Love for Their Health." AMIGAS is a bilingual educational outreach intervention designed to help promotorasand other lay health educators increase cervical cancer screening among Hispanics who have rarely or never had a Pap test. A randomized controlled trial recently funded by CDC, showed AMIGAS is effective in promoting cervical cancer screening (Pap tests) among Hispanics aged 21 to 65 years.
FOTONOVELAS
" Fotonovelas" are similar to comic books in their use of plain language and images. They are common in Spanish-language cultures, and are an effective medium for health promotion and health education for Hispanic audiences. Promotores de salud and other community health workers (CHWs) are encouraged to read health-related fotonovelas with people in their communities. CDC has fotonevelas for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. A promotora/CHW Guide accompanies these fotonovelas and gives these members of the healthcare team a brief summary of objectives, tips, additional activities, reviews, and reminders.

Fotonovel: How to Control Your Hypertension

High Blood Pressure Fotonovelas

High Cholesterol Fotonovelas

High Blood Pressure Fotonovelas

English
How to Control Your Hypertension, Learning to Control Your Sodium Intake

Spanish
Como Controlar Su Hipertensión, Aprenda a Controlar Su Consumo de Sodio

High Blood Pressure, Education Materials for Patients

High Cholesterol Fotonovelas

English
How to Control Your Fat and Cholesterol, How to Control Your Cholesterol Numbers

Spanish
Como Controlar la Grasa y el Colesterol, Aprenda a Controlar Su Consumo de Grasa y Colesterol

High Cholesterol, Education Materials for Patients

Zika

Many countries currently affected by the Zika virus have large Hispanic/Latino populations, including Puerto Rico. This Is How We Stop Zika (Español ) is a communication campaign supported by the CDC Foundation, CDC, and several other partners. The campaign seeks to inform and motivate people in Puerto Rico to stop the spread of Zika virus (especially pregnant women) by providing information and resources on how people can take action to prevent Zika by protecting themselves, their home, and their community. The effort includes a dedicated Facebook page and several digital and print resources currently available on the website. Get information about Zika in Spanish.

CDC Vital Signs: Hispanic Health

In 2015, CDC published its first national study of leading causes of death, disease prevalence, risk factors, and access to health services among Hispanics or Latinos living in the U.S. The study used recent national census and health surveillance data to assess differences among non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic/Latinos, and Hispanic/Latino origin subgroups overall and by sex and nativity, and to identify subpopulations of Hispanic/Latinos at greatest risk for leading causes of death and disease.

The CDC Vital Signs report showed that:

Similar to non-Hispanic whites, the two leading causes of death in Hispanics are cancer and heart disease.
Cancer is the leading cause of death for Hispanics, while it is the second leading cause of death for non-Hispanic whites.
Hispanics have a 24% lower death rate from all causes combined and lower death rates for nine of 15 leading causes of death compared with non-Hispanic whites, but higher death rates for diabetes, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease, and homicide, and a similar death rate for nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis.
Among Hispanics, prevalences of self-reported smoking varied by Hispanic origin and by sex with highest prevalences among Puerto Ricans and Cubans. U.S.-born Hispanics had higher prevalences of obesity, hypertension, smoking, heart disease, and cancer than foreign-born Hispanics.