Community Health Advocacy ~ Center for Women's Health

We encourage community-wide participation in heart disease prevention, education, detection and lifestyle changes that can improve the cardiovascular health status of all communities, primarily those with a majority of African Americans residents who remain at higher risk for heart disease and stroke when compared to white Americans.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women and African American women suffer disproportionately higher death rates from heart disease and stroke. Diabetes and obesity are occurring at younger ages in minority women. Gender and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes are most marked for African American women who have a 69% higher death rate compared to white women.

In 1997, a committee of the Association of Black Cardiologists was was formed to focus on this especially high risk population. In 1999, the ABC Committee on CVD in Women, along with the then president-elect Dr. Elizabeth Ofili and CEO Dr. B. Waine Kong, launched the initiative to open a center dedicated to cardiovascular disease in women of color. An initial seed grant was awarded that enabled the ABC to select a director and manager to lead the Center and to initiate programmatic objectives.

View the Women & Heart Disease Resource Guide

Mission

The ABC Center for Women's Health (CWH) is dedicated to improving the cardiovascular health of African American and other women of color.

Vision

The Center for Women's Health strives to be a major force in improving the cardiovascular health of African American and other women of color through professional and community education, research and health policy advocacy.

Objectives

• Partner with community-based media groups for effective patient education.
• Promote best practices through innovative physician education.
• Promote the best science-based research for a woman-centered approach to cardiovascular risk reduction.
• Advocate for affordable access to preventive care for women.
• Promote the inclusion of women in clinical research.
• Influence public policy to improve the cardiovascular care of women.