The goal of the Indiana Black & Minority Health Fair is to increase minority awareness of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and cancer, and how to prevent them. This goal is in line with the Indiana Department of Health's mission to promote, provide and improve essential public health services. The Indiana Black & Minority Health Fair also works towards raising public awareness of the health issues that disproportionately affect minorities. By tracking self-reported race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health behaviors and risk factors, researchers can determine causative agents or reasons that morbidity, chronic illness and mortality differ between particular racial and ethnic subgroups. This allows state health representatives to formulate programs to address these health disparities, and positively impact the health and well-being of the Hoosiers who attend.