National Minority Health Month

April is National Minority Health Month (NMHM), a time to raise awareness about health disparities that continue to affect people from racial and ethnic minority groups and encourage action through health education, early detection, and control of disease complications. Learn more about NMHM.

The 2022 NMHM theme is Give Your Community a Boost! As noted by the HHS Office of Minority Health, COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster, is one of the strongest tools we have to end the COVID-19 pandemic that has disproportionately affected communities of color.

This theme supplements the CDC recommendations to prevent COVID-19 transmissions, such as wearing a well-fitting mask, physical distancing, washing your hands often, and testing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

NIMHD joins the OMH and other federal agencies to focus on empowering people to get the facts and give your community a boost!

About National Minority Health Month

Celebrated every year in April, National Minority Health Month:

• Builds awareness about the disproportionate burden of premature death and illness in people from racial and ethnic minority groups.
• Encourages action through health education, early detection and control of disease complications.

The origin of National Minority Health Month is in the 1915 establishment of National Negro Health Week by Booker T. Washington. In 2002, National Minority Health Month received support from the U.S. Congress with a concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 388) that “a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month should be established to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other populations experiencing health disparities.” The resolution encouraged “all health organizations and Americans to conduct appropriate programs and activities to promote healthfulness in minority and other communities experiencing health disparities.”

Page updated March 6, 2024