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Thursday
December 18
2008
9:00am ET
by Kevin
Reflecting on the Social Determinants of Health
Last week, NCHHSTP hosted a unique gathering that
looked at how CDC and its partners could address the
social factors that can lead to infectious diseases and
health disparities—we refer to these as the social
determinants of health. In preparation for the meeting,
I found myself reflecting on the complexity of society
and the domino effects that can result when basic
foundations of education, health care, and financial
security are fragile or absent.
This two-day meeting convened more than 100 participants
from a diverse range of academic, scientific, public
health, and community backgrounds. We each brought our
own views on this subject and the role of social
determinants in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, viral
hepatitis, STD and TB.
Discussions focused on efforts to accelerate the reduction of health disparities and promotion of health equity for our infectious diseases. The group identified poverty, poor educational attainment, poor access to health care, high incarceration rates, and persistent stigma and discrimination and the complex relationships among these factors as key determinants. Discussions also
identified and prioritized justifiable suggestions that
address social determinants of health in the areas of
health policy, surveillance and epidemiology, prevention
research and evaluation, and agency partnerships and
capacity building. Mention was made as well of the
current economic downturn and a renewed focus on
prevention.
The suggestions from this meeting will inform every part
of our Center's funding, relationships, and work. They
will provide a framework and road map for strengthening
our efforts in this arena. In the coming months, we will
publish proceedings from this meeting and a White Paper
on the Social Determinants of Health. We are committed
to clarifying the "final mile"—our vision for what we
want to achieve—as well as clear and actionable
strategies for moving forward. We are also committed to
ensuring proactive engagement of our partners and the
public along the way.
In closing, many participants agreed that the focus on
social determinants of health for reducing health
disparities and promoting health equity was appropriate
and timely. I’m excited about this enhanced focus for
our National Center and look forward to hearing what you
are doing in your own jurisdictions, and working with
you, as we build on these discussions and begin
development of actionable steps.
Submit a comment -
Comment Policy
Dr. Fenton,
Can someone tell me the major connections b/t
HIV/AIDS and TB? Is there a resource for finding
out if there is a high risk population, etc for
the contraction of HIV/AIDS and TB.
Thank you,
Jeri Teller-Kanzler, CISM
President & Principal Consultant
Risk-MAPP, LLC
Posted by Jeri Teller-Kanzler on
Wednesday, January 7,
2009 at 8:55 pm ET
Comment
Ms.Teller-Kanzler,
Thank you for your post. You bring up a very
important question and I welcome the chance to
address this important issue.
TB bacteria is spread through the air from one
person to another when someone who is sick with
TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs,
speaks, laughs, sings, or sneezes. In most
people who breathe in TB bacteria and become
infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria
to stop them from growing. The bacteria become
inactive, but they remain alive in the body and
can become active later. This is referred to as
latent TB infection. A person can have latent TB
infection for years. But if that person's immune
system gets weak, the infection can quickly turn
into active TB disease. Also, if a person who
has a weak immune system spends time with
someone with active TB disease, he or she may
become infected with TB bacteria and quickly
develop active TB disease.
Because HIV infection weakens the immune system,
people with latent TB infection and HIV
infection are at very high risk of developing
active TB disease. All persons with HIV
infection should be tested to find out if they
have latent TB infection. If they have latent TB
infection, they need treatment as soon as
possible to prevent them from developing active
TB disease. If they have active TB disease, they
must take medicine to treat the disease. CDC has
a booklet,
Take Steps to Control TB When You Have HIV,
about the importance of TB testing, treating TB
infection, and treating TB disease when a person
has HIV infection.
As far as risk factors for HIV and TB
co-infection, I will have to give you a two -
fold answer. First, there are specific risk
factors for acquiring HIV. We have outlined
these risks on the
basic information section of our HIV Web
site.
Next, to get infected with TB bacteria, an
individual would have to come in contact with
someone with active TB disease. People with TB
disease are most likely to infect people they
spend time with every day, such as family
members or coworkers. Individuals who have come
in contact with someone with active TB disease
should contact their doctor or their local
health department to get tested. CDC provides
contact information for the
TB Control Offices in each state on our TB
Web site.
Hope this answers your question.
Kevin
Posted by Dr. Kevin Fenton on
Monday, January 12,
2009 at 10:32 am ET
Comment
HIV Testing, Celebrating Life and World AIDS Day |
Well, it has been a busy November and things are moving
at a rapid pace as we approach the end of the year. I
hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and
wish you well in your activities for World AIDS Day
2008.
Read the rest of
the blog and comments
Posted by Dr. Fenton, on Monday,
December 1, 2008 at 10:00 am ET
Increasing HIV in Low Incidence Areas |
The U.S. HIV epidemic continues to evolve with
increased diagnoses being reported in cities and states
where HIV is traditionally has been more common. Earlier
this month, officials at the Idaho Department of Health
and Welfare announced that the number of HIV infections
in their state have increased by 23 percent since last
year. Over a dozen of those newly diagnosed were under
25 years of age.
Read the rest of
the blog and comments
Posted by Dr. Fenton, on Wednesday,
October 27, 2008 at 5:00 pm ET
Looking Back - Forward Thinking |
Today marks the first day of the new fiscal year for
our programs. This is a time well suited to reflection
on what we’ve accomplished and a look forward to the
year ahead. So I would like to share with you some of my
thoughts on the past, present, and future of our work.
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the blog and comments
Posted by Dr. Fenton, on Wednesday, October
1,
2008 at 5:00 pm ET
On Tuesday, CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding and I
participated in a Congressional hearing titled, “The
Domestic Epidemic is Worse than We Thought: A Wake-Up
Call for HIV Prevention,” held by Congressman Henry
A. Waxman. Dr. Tony Fauci, Director, National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, took part in the hearing.
Read the rest of
the blog and comments
Posted by Dr. Fenton, on Thrusday, September
18,
2008 at 5:00 pm ET
I have been reflecting on my experiences at the
XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, which
concluded close to three weeks ago. As I walked the
conference hall, I could feel the amazing energy,
passion and commitment that this event brings together.
Once again, I was humbled and invigorated by the
selfless dedication of those committed to fighting the
global HIV pandemic.
Read the rest of
the blog and comments
Posted by Dr. Fenton, on Wednesday, September
3,
2008 at 5:00 pm ET
Last
Modified:
01/12/2009
Last Reviewed: 09/03/2008
Content Source:
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral
Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention |