Health chiefs yesterday praised the work of a pioneering action group which aims to improve the health of the district's ethnic community.

The praise came as representatives from health authorities and community action groups came together at Carlisle Business Centre, Manning-ham, Bradford, to celebrate the official launch of the Health Equality Action Team.

Started in 1992 in response to the report The Health of the Nation, the group has grown from informal meetings of ethnic representatives and hospital managers to become an established partner in local health planning.

Now renamed HEAT, it is thought to be the only community group in the country to work hand-in-hand with the NHS in strategic planning.

Speaking at the launch, Zahida Manzoor, chairman of the NHS Executive Northern and Yorkshire, said it was an exciting, new project. "It's only through partnership that we can try to eradicate some of the problems of ethnic health. There is much evidence to show that the ethnic minority suffer greater inequality in health. For example, coronary heart disease in the Asian community is 50 per cent higher than the national average.''

HEAT works with Health Action Zones and the Health Improvement Programme to ensure that needs such as interpreting and translating, and recruitment of ethnic health staff are not ignored. Other developments have included cancer campaigns and the appointment of Bangladeshi health workers to combat coronary disease.

Dr Dee Kyle, Bradford Health Authority's director of public health, said she was proud to be a member of the group.

"We've renamed the group to put the emphasis on action to show we really need to get ahead to improve health for all Bradford communities.''

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