Health on the Street is an integral component of the Future Builders Community Health Initiative. It was created to improve the quality of health and human services in the community. Health on the Street includes general health education topics that impact the minority community at a disproportionate rate like Sickle Cell Disease, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, and Heart Disease. It also includes our programs - HIV, Hepatitis C, and Tobacco Prevention.
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
Future Builders provides residents of Arkansas with information about sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait that will assist them in making positive life choices about their health and ensure a better quality of life. According to the CDC, the exact number of people living with SCD in the U.S. is unknown. However, this disease occurs in approximately 100,000 Americans; 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births, and 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American births.
About 1 in 13 Black or African-American babies is born with sickle cell trait (SCT).
Future Builders holds an annual symposium each year during National Sickle Cell Awareness Month (September) to assist in spotlighting the need for research and treatment of Sickle Cell Disease. Our goal is to bring awareness to how SCD disproportionately impacts the African American community.
Learn more about Sickle Cell Anemia at the CDC Website.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects how your body turns food into energy. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant). More than 122 million Americans live with diabetes (34.2 million) or prediabetes (88 million).
Minority groups are affected by prediabetes and diabetes more than other groups. This health disparity (differences in health status or access to health care among racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic groups) is the primary reason why Future Builders works to educate and bring awareness to this disease.
Learn more about Diabetes at the CDC Website.
High Cholesterol
About 38% of American adults have high cholesterol which can put you at risk for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death in the United States. Most people do not know they have high cholesterol because it has no signs or symptoms, so the only way to know if you have it is to get your cholesterol checked. Talk to your health care team about how you can manage your cholesterol levels and lower your risk.
Learn more about Cholesterol at the CDC Website.
Heart Disease
Heart disease, a leading cause of death in the United States, creates an enormous burden for people, communities, and healthcare providers and systems. CDC shows data shows heart disease to be the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. Approximately 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
Learn more about Heart Disease at the CDC Website.