Brooklyn Borough President

DEPUTY BOROUGH PRESIDENT GRAHAM’S STATEMENT ON HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG WOMEN OF COLOR

“We continue to see health disparities among women of color, despite national efforts to eliminate this inequality. Brooklyn is proud of its diversity, but for far too long, our diverse communities have represented a disproportionate share of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, AIDS cases, infant mortality and other chronic health conditions. It is for this reason that the Borough President Markowitz and I have made addressing health issues and health disparities a major priority.

“My background as a registered nurse, my over 15 years directing the Caribbean Women’s Health Association, and the studies I did to obtain my masters in Public Health, have all given me a deep understanding of this ongoing crisis. The Borough President and I worked with SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health to create the Brooklyn Center on Health Disparities. The goal of the Institute is to reduce health disparities through inter-disciplinary research, training and community outreach. We are committed to working with government and the community to tear down barriers and ensure that Brooklynites of every race, ethnicity and income level receive the world class quality of health care that they so richly deserve.”

-Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Yvonne Graham