CDC studies show higher AIDS mortality rate among blacks

Several recent studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on racial disparities in health care show that African-Americans have significantly higher rates of death from AIDS than whites, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The AIDS mortality rate for blacks was 8.7 times higher than the rate for whites, according to one of the studies. African-Americans also were shown to have significantly higher rates of infectious diseases than whites, including a gonorrhea rate 24 times higher than seen among whites and a syphilis rate nine times higher. Health officials say more culturally sensitive awareness and treatment programs are needed to address the health disparities among African-Americans. "We've been talking about the problem but haven't done enough in terms of resources and making sure interventions known to be effective are used widely," Ben Truman, associate director of science in the CDC's Office of Minority Health, told the Journal-Constitution. The CDC studies are available in the January 14 issue of the organization's publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.