AUSTIN (KXAN) – Volunteers from an Austin nonprofit organization hosted an event Saturday at the Montopolis Recreation Center to help raise awareness of health disparities affecting African Americans in their community.
African-Americans are more likely to develop kidney failure than any other race. One in three people with kidney failure in the U.S. is African American, According to the American Kidney Foundation.
In addition, blacks have higher morbidity and mortality rates compared to whites. Black people are more likely to report poor health, die from cancer and experience barriers to accessing health care, According to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Our goal is to have a Black Families Expo to expose some of the health disparities and what we can do to make a difference,” said Dr. Dominique Isaac Williams, who works with Black families there. link merged – A large national organization of black women.
On Saturday, volunteers from the local chapter of Links Incorporated provided blood pressure screenings, free mammograms, fitness classes, healthy snacks and information about health disparities affecting their communities, especially kidney disease.
“By raising awareness of chronic conditions like kidney disease, we hope to intervene so people don’t progress to dialysis and kidney failure,” Williams said.
Today was the first gathering of its kind, but Links Incorporated Lone Star Chapter President Shana Nichols hopes to host more in the future.
“It’s always important to take care of yourself. So we want to make sure our community knows we’re here to serve today and in the future. And to know that your body is your only body and that you want to take care of it while you’re here Good,” Nichols said.
