Posted on August 22, 2005 at 3:25 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Former NBA all-star Charles Barkley is putting his celebrity weight behind a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) effort to improve the health status of minorities. Barkley, who has made a significant contribution to sponsor research and educational projects, will host the inaugural UAB Minority Health and Research Center Gala, to be held September 30 at the Wynfrey Hotel at the Galleria.
The black-tie affair, which includes a reception and a seated dinner, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Ticket information is available from (205) 996-2880 or www.uabmhrc.com.
Barkley, a Leeds native and now a fun-loving sports commentator for TNT network, turns serious when talking about how African-Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities are far behind in the level of their health care.
Barkley said, “As I’ve made the transition from playing sports to on-air commentating and public speaking, I began to talk about serious and sensitive issues such as race and education. Because of the opportunities I’ve had in life, I feel I have an obligation to speak up about issues affecting our communities, and one of those issues is the health status of African-Americans and how to raise their level of health.”
Mona Fouad, M.D., UAB professor of medicine and director of the MHRC, said Barkley initially showed an interest in helping the center when he spoke at one of its conferences in 2003.
“Mr. Barkley continually emphasizes his wish for African-Americans to enhance their health and for their young people to strive to become doctors, teachers and scientists,” she said. “This gala will be an opportunity for us to celebrate his ongoing commitment to the unique needs of the most vulnerable Alabamians. It also will provide a focus for individuals and corporations that want to help UAB address the disparities of access to health care, lifestyle issues, cancer detection and treatment, and the compatibility and availability of organ transplantation among minorities in Alabama.”
Barkley’s charitable foundation has contributed funds to the MHRC to establish the Charles Barkley Health Disparities Fund to provide financial support for researchers to develop outreach, educational and investigative projects related to obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, stroke, cancer and minority organ donation. He will announce the initial awards at the September 30 event.
Fouad said, “Charles Barkley has learned that despite steady improvements in the overall health of the United States, racial and ethnic minorities continue to experience a lower quality of health services, are less likely to receive routine medical procedures, and have higher rates of severe illness and death than non-minorities.”
Minorities lag behind whites in many diseases, she said, including:
- Diabetes in African-Americans is about 70 percent higher than whites; Hispanics’ rate is nearly double that of whites.
- Among African-Americans, the cancer death rate is 35 percent higher than that of whites.
- African-Americans are half as likely as whites to undergo angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery.
The MHRC develops research, educational and service programs to understand and reduce health disparities among races. It conducts research and builds community and state partnerships to help treat and prevent disease among minority populations in Alabama.