Wellness Day highlights the health care needs of Black men

The University of Houston hosted its second annual Black Men’s Wellness Day on April 27, featuring a “Save Black Men’s Lives” 5K walk, preventive health screenings and the presence of greater than 100 providers dedicated to the health, wellness and connection of Black men with social service organizations .

Black Men’s Wellness Day is reportedly on trial in Houston and other cities address health care disparities for black men.

“We are literally bringing the clinic to the community,” said Jamail Johnson, executive director of the Houston office of the African American Wellness Agency. “I don’t want this to be a conversation after someone dies. This brings the important conversation about our health to the forefront. I want it to be something that not only young men but also older men can benefit from. We hope to save lives.”

During last yr’s event, about 20% of attendees were sent to Houston-area hospitals for hypertension, cholesterol and other problems requiring immediate medical attention, Johnson said. This is underlined by data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that the life expectancy of black men is 69 years, in comparison with 78 years for black women and 76 years for white men.

“If you are a Black American, your risk of amputation is up to four times higher than that of white Americans, and after amputation, your risk of death is 50% in one year and over 70% in three years,” Richard Browne, senior director, said in 2023 Medical Officer for Health System Strategy and Health Equity at Johnson & Johnson. “Every year, on every walk, someone learns about numbers that are so alarming that someone needs to immediately go to the doctor’s hospital.”

Johnson also said the free screening tests that measure blood flow have been made available through a partnership with Johnson & Johnson, which he hopes will explain why black men lead the nation in amputations. In January, Johnson & Johnson and the African American Male Wellness Agency (AAMWA) partnered to handle health care disparities amongst Black Americans in the healthcare industry.