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Blog: National Partnership for Action
Prevention
Despite successes, community outreach remains key
Posted on 4/2/2012 by A. Toni Young
Thirty years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we have much to be proud of: ---The United States has its first National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which is focusing efforts where they can make the most impact on the disease’s progression. Yet much work remains to be done. At the end of 2008, an estimated 1,178,350 persons aged 13 and older were living with HIV in the United States. In Washington, DC, alone, there are more than 16,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, yet one in five don’t know that they have it. African Americans are particularly hard hit, making up 76 percent of infections in the District of Columbia. While it’s important to acknowledge the successes, communities are in dire need of help. ROAD to AIDS 2012 is a nationwide series of town hall meetings engaging communities in discussions about how their local regions are handling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. One thing that has become clear from the town halls is that no matter what part of the country you live in, community outreach is the cornerstone of managing the epidemic, particularly when it comes to prevention, testing and linkage to care. Community Education Group (CEG) seeks to stop the spread of HIV and eliminate health disparities in neighborhoods by training ex-offenders and community health workers to educate, counsel and test the hard to reach population. One way CEG expands its reach is by forging relationships with other organizations and local businesses. For example, from October 1, 2010 through September 31, 2011, CEG staff disseminated prevention materials through participants in our community network of over 225 businesses in Wards 6, 7, and 8 in Washington, DC. CEG also passed out 226,115 condoms through 1,206 visits to over 225 sites within our community network. The total amount of prevention materials distributed through all outreach activities during that time was 27,810 risk reduction kits and 309,547 condoms. While prevention is key to ending the epidemic, it is just as crucial that Americans know their status. Twenty percent of Americans are unaware that they are living with HIV. Between October 1, 2010 and September 31, 2011, CEG staff provided counseling and testing for 10,480 individuals in Washington, DC’s Wards 6, 7, and 8. Of these individuals, 175 -- or 1.8 percent -- of individuals received a preliminary positive diagnosis. Navigating the healthcare system when one is newly diagnosed with HIV can be confusing, scary and frustrating. In fact, many people diagnosed with HIV fall out of care or never seek care in the first place because they are afraid to disclose their status or they don’t know who to speak with about treatment options. CEG does not leave those who are newly diagnosed to figure out their futures alone. Providing linkages to care is a core component of what we do. From October 2010 through September 2011, CEG Referral and Linkage Staff provided new linkages to care for 52 clients who were diagnosed through testing by CEG staff to care services provided by Family and Medical Counseling Services. CEG Referral and Linkage staff also linked, relinked or confirmed that 165 out of 175 preliminary positive diagnosed individuals were receiving care and treatment services. CEG is currently developing wireless technology using tablet computers and Smartphone process for client enrollment into public health insurance, patient navigation and patient treatment adherence CEG outreach staff also delivers thousands of referrals to support services, linking clients to confirmatory testing centers, mental health resources, substance abuse treatment centers, food services, housing services, employment programs, Hepatitis C screening and primary care. There’s no doubt this is an exciting time in the fight against HIV/AIDS. While we continue to move toward an AIDS-free generation, CEG’s goal remains the same: To end health disparities, stop the spread of HIV, and give people living with HIV/AIDS the tools they need to live a healthy and prosperous life. Posted in: Prevention National Minority Health Month | Comments | Add a Comment | Comment Policy | Permalink Gaining Headway in the Reduction of Disparities in Influenza Vaccination Coverage
Posted on 10/4/2011 by Garth N. Graham M.D., M.P.H
A recent report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the increase in seasonal influenza vaccination among minority children for the 2010-11 season, as compared to 2009-10 seasonal coverage. In 2010-11, vaccination coverage rates among children ages 6 months to 17 years were 55.1 percent for Hispanics, 50.8 percent for non-Hispanic blacks, and 48.5 percent for non-Hispanic whites. While coverage among children increased for each of these racial/ethnic groups from the 2009–10 to 2010–11 seasons, the increases were larger for Hispanic and non-Hispanic black children, eliminating the disparity in child coverage for the 2010–11 season. Compared to the previous year, vaccination coverage rose 8.2 percentage points among Hispanics (from 46.9 percent in 2009-10), 13.8 percentage points among non-Hispanic blacks (from 37.0 percent) and 5.3 percentage points among non-Hispanic whites (from 43.2 percent). Coverage rates among other children ages 6 months – 17 years were 59.4 percent among Asians and 55.6 percent among non-Hispanic others. These improvements are very positive, and it is important that we sustain this success in the current and future influenza seasons. I am happy to say that we can attribute such successes in decreasing racial and ethnic health disparities to a multi-factorial approach including the ongoing work of our many national, state and local partners. In fact, the CDC highlights that health advocates and community partners play an important role, as technologies and strategies are employed that can positively affect local vaccination coverage. Innovative outreach strategies such as drive-through vaccination campaigns, text messaging promotions, and school-located vaccination can all be implemented at a local level through partnerships among health departments and medical clinics, and faith-and community-based organizations. Multi-sector partnerships are an important strategy to continue the momentum towards reducing influenza vaccination disparities. And while the increase in vaccination among minority children is a noteworthy step on the road toward the elimination of health disparities in this country, there is still work to be done. The CDC's influenza vaccine coverage surveys also indicate that challenges still remain to increase overall vaccination uptake, as the minority adult population's (older than 18 years of age) coverage remained unchanged. I am confident that our partners are poised to address the challenge of increasing vaccination coverage by expanding outreach efforts, organizing local promotional activities, and ramping up messaging through social media platforms. These and other best practices can be found by visiting www.cdc.gov/flu and accessing free resources and helpful tips to promote the flu vaccine. I encourage you to visit the link above, and to learn more about CDC's flu vaccine coverage data at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/coverage_1011estimates.htm Thank you for your continued commitment to the elimination of health disparities in the United States. Posted in: Health Minority Populations Health Conditions Prevention | Comments | Add a Comment | Comment Policy | Permalink Collecting the Data We Need to Reduce Health Disparities
Posted on 6/29/2011 by Garth N. Graham M.D., M.P.H
Cross-posted from the healthcare.gov blog. The Obama Administration is committed to promoting the health and well-being of all Americans, yet when we don’t have accurate information about who we serve, it is difficult to meet the unique needs of diverse communities. Many racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities, and other underserved populations face unique health challenges, have reduced access to health care and insurance, and often pay the price with poorer health throughout their lives. Over the past decade, little progress has been made in reducing these disparities. According to the Institute of Medicine, inadequate data on race, ethnicity, and language lowers the likelihood of effective actions to address health disparities. But, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, section 4302 invests in the implementation of a new health data collection and analysis strategy. It requires all national federal data collection efforts to collect data on:
HHS also announced a new plan to collect data related to health of LGBT populations. We will integrate questions on sexual orientation into national data collection efforts by 2013 and begin the process to collect information on gender identity. This is a critical step toward development of a government-wide standard for LGBT data collection. By establishing consistent methods for collecting and reporting health data, we will be able to better understand the causes of health problems in underserved populations. HHS continues to make significant progress toward improving the health of underserved populations. By collecting relevant data in a standardized format, we will be able to continue reducing the health disparities in many underserved communities. The public may submit comments for the draft minority data collection standards at www.regulations.gov under docket number HHS-OMH-2011-0013. Public comments will be accepted until August 1. Information is also available here. Posted in: Health Disparities Health Conditions Rights Protections & Benefits Prevention | Comments | Add a Comment | Comment Policy | Permalink |
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