Houston Black Expo Health Fair
Saturday, May 16 – Sunday, May 17, 2009
Living Strong Health Pavilion
Event Mission: To improve the quality of life for individuals throughout the state of Texas by fostering and facilitating patient advocacy and community health education.
Description of the Problem – A Community in Crisis
Did you know that African American males live 7.1 years less than any other racial group in America. Additionally, though African Americans represent only 12% of the U.S. population, they have the highest rate of high blood pressure in the country. Further, African Americans represent more than 25% of all new HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S.
This is a major problem!
The Houston Black Expo is committed to doing its part to solve this problem thus has partnered with various community organization to present the Living Strong Health Pavilion.
Program Overview
The Texas Black Expo, Inc., a non-profit organization with several community-building initiatives, one of which is dedicated to building a healthier African American community, is committed to doing its part to raise awareness and to help this group take the first steps towards reversing these negative trends. The Houston Black Expo Health Fair is designed to educate, encourage, and increase patient advocacy and community health education. The Health Fair will take part in conjunction with the 6th Annual Houston Black Expo Summer Celebration, which draws thousands of African Americans from greater Houston and surrounding regions throughout Texas each year.
Overall, the Houston Black Expo event is a prime opportunity to provide services and awareness to a captive audience, for an estimated 20,000 people will visit the Expo seeking out organizations and service providers that are looking for them during this cultural marketing tradeshow. Expo attendees will find the Health Fair a safe, comfortable, and familiar environment staffed with many health care providers or representatives who look like them and who will be able to reach them wherever they are in their healthcare pilgrimage – from completely ignorant, to highly informed but curious about what’s new for them and their loved ones.
In addition to providing the types of screenings most relevant to the needs of this community, those in the Expo Health Fair will provide information to attendees, one on one, which is designed to educate them about their health, motivate them towards taking action and ownership, and actively participate in staying informed about the progress of their health.
While there are numerous diseases and issues relating to health which affect the African American community in a disproportionate manner, our focus for the 2009 Health Fair will include providing education, awareness, and screenings in a manner that will effectively reach African Americans.
Program Learning / Outcome Objectives
- Male Urology: To educate African American men on male urological issues with an emphasis on prostate cancer awareness and screening. Each male will leave knowing at what age he should begin getting tested, and we will impress upon them the importance of adhering to the testing schedule recommended by the American Medical Association. Males will also have an opportunity to be screened on the spot.
- HIV / AIDS: To educate attendees on the dangers posed by HIV / AIDS to the African American community and to make them aware of the alarming statistics surrounding the spread of the disease within this demographic, especially in the Houston and surrounding areas. Attendees will be instructed on the proper usage of condoms, provided with free condoms, and encouraged to practice safe sex. There will also be free HIV tests provided at the Expo Health Fair.
- Cardiovascular: To educate attendees on the various cardiovascular diseases that plague the African American community and the preventative measures they can take to avoid them. Additionally, they will be also taught about the importance of regular exercise and living a healthy lifestyle, and they will be able to have their blood pressure checked on the spot.
- Diabetes: To educate attendees on the various types of diabetes, symptoms of each type of diabetes, and the risk factors and lifestyle habits that are known to increase one’s chances of diabetes. Attendees will also be screened for diabetes at the Expo Health Fair, and ongoing awareness will be greatly emphasized.
- Nutritional Health: To educate attendees about the importance of proper nutrition and how one’s diet affects every area of life. Attendees will also have an opportunity to observe healthy cooking demonstrations in order to learn healthier ways to prepare a meal, adapting traditional African American recipes with more healthy ingredients and methods of preparation.
- Safe Sex Awareness: To educate attendees about the various sexually transmitted diseases that are prevalent within the African American community and to encourage attendees, regardless of age or gender, to practice safe sex. Attendees will also have the opportunity to receive free condoms and to learn how to properly utilize them.
