When people think of minority populations, they often think urban rather than rural communities. In fact, minorities comprise 15 percent of the total rural population and account for 30 percent of the rural poor population. Minorities face a myriad of problems ranging from chronic poverty among people in the Southeast, to a lack of stable medical care for migrant workers, to language barriers faced by newcomers to this country. The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) has had a longstanding concern with the diverse health needs of rural minority populations.
A growing concern to rural communities is that HIV/AIDS is continuing to spread in the South and disproportionately affect communities of color. The special needs of those with infected with HIV/AIDS is further complicated by the lack of appropriate health services available in many rural communities. Increasingly, organizations and service providers need tools and resources to enhance their capacity to better deliver these services. In response, ORHP is developing a web-based, resource guide on best practices in HIV/AIDS prevention and care for rural communities that will complement efforts currently underway by other organizations.
This publication by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) gives highlights of research conducted on rural minority health from across the United States, including a good bibliography of reports (most are available free upon request)
The Office of Minority Health contains programmatic and financial assistance resources, and a list of minority health liaisons and organizations by state.