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National Action Plan for Health Security Toolkit Benchmarks

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infectious disease
National Action Plan for Health Security Toolkit Benchmarks
United States of America
To continue to increase health security in countries by improving their capacity and expanding support using new and more relevant tools of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) Toolkit in at least six countries.
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Strengthening Partnerships to Address Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions

Background

Infection Associated Chronic Conditions (IACCs) are chronic medical conditions that are initially triggered by an infection. While many different pathogens have been associated with the development of IACCs, different IACCs share several common features:

  • IACCs tend to cause severe impacts to quality of life;
  • IACCs typically impact a disproportionately high rate of female patients;
  • IACCs are often characterized by neurological or immunological pathology; and
  • IACCs comprise diffuse organ system interactions; and require multidisciplinary care.

Millions of Americans were living with IACCs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the exact number is unknown. Large-scale epidemiological studies identifying the number or percentage of Americans with any IACC has not been undertaken to date. US population estimates of just a few IACCs published before or at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that these conditions were already widespread

About the Project

The global COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented awareness of the long-term health effects of IACCs. The number of people living with Long COVID-associated conditions or other infection-associated conditions—including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other forms of dysautonomia, mast-cell activation syndrome, persistent Lyme disease/chronic Lyme disease and more—continue to increase.

Through the Infection Initiated Chronic Conditions Understanding and Engagement (ICUE) program, the CDC Foundation, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are bringing together patient advocacy groups and community-based organizations focused on raising awareness and helping people living with IACCs to identify common priorities and opportunities to collaborate, including exploring the development of an IACC Patient Advocacy Coalition (IACCPAC).

Summary Report

We’re pleased to announce that the first summary report, following our series of workshops on the needs and priorities of the infection-associated chronic conditions patient community, by the IACCPAC—a part of the IACCPAC Initiative, led by The Long Covid Alliance, Solve ME/CFS Initiative, COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project, Dysautonomia International, and Patient-Led Research Collaborative, with support from the CDC Foundation through the ICUE program—is now available and can be accessed here.

Partners

  • Dysautonomia International
  • Commonality, Inc.
  • Solve ME/CFS Initiative, Inc.
  • Patient-Led Research Collaborative
  • COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project

This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $77,990 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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infectious disease
Strengthening Partnerships to Address Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions
United States of America
To engage partners and stakeholders on awareness and education for infection associated chronic conditions (IACC).
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Establishment of Integrated Disease Reference Labs in Lagos Nigeria

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Nigeria
To support key laboratory systems strengthening interventions for early disease detection, disease monitoring, and laboratory based disease surveillance for priority diseases of public health importance in Lagos, Nigeria.
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Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the United States

BACKGROUND

Clean water and sanitation are critical for maintaining good health and preventing the spread of disease. In the United States, many people take for granted that safe water is accessible just by turning on a faucet, but today an estimated 2.2 million Americans live in homes without running water or basic plumbing. Because of aging water infrastructure and failing septic systems, tens of millions more lack adequate sanitation facilities for the safe disposal of human waste and wastewater treatment. Although water insecurity threatens the health of all communities, research shows that Latino, Black and Indigenous communities are much more likely to experience poor water and sanitation systems. Immigrants and people living in low-income and rural areas are also disproportionately affected.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

To help address the urgent and growing health problems caused by contaminated water, the CDC Foundation is supporting six organizations working to increase public awareness of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues and improve these conditions in communities experiencing limited access or unsafe water systems. The CDC Foundation funding supports organizations working in California, the Appalachia region, the Navajo Nation and urban and rural communities in the Black Belt and Jackson, MS.

These organizations are working to identify the water and sanitation needs in their respective regions and connect community members with available services. They address poor WASH conditions on the household level by increasing access to water testing, distributing water filters, installing home water systems, and establishing water delivery programs and free hygiene pantries to provide soap and other personal hygiene supplies. They also conduct outreach in multiple languages to increase awareness of the importance of safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

As part of this project, each organization also chose a representative to participate in the OpEd Workshop, a unique opportunity to work with a network of media mentors to write effective and powerful pieces about the water crisis and the work they are doing to address it. 

The organizations receiving support are:

  • Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program (BBUWP) and PEER Consulting
  • Community Resource Center
  • The DigDeep Right to Water Project (The Navajo Water Project and The Appalachia Water Project)
  • El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center
  • People’s Advocacy Institute
  • West Central Alabama Community Health Improvement League, Inc.

Read our recent story about People's Advocacy Institute and their tireless efforts to bring clean water to Jackson, MS.

Read our blog about how these organizations are addressing the water crisis and ensure access to clean, safe water for everyone.

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wasterwater surveillance in Houston
WASH in the United States
United States of America
To increase public awareness of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues and improve conditions in communities experiencing limited access or unsafe water systems in the United States.
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CBO Support to Increase Equitable Vaccination Coverage

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Community members helping for the planet
CBO Support to Increase Equitable Vaccination Coverage
United States of America
To support community-based organizations (CBOs) to increase vaccination coverage across different racial and ethnic adult populations currently experiencing disparities.
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Improving Mental, Behavioral and Academic Supports to Students and Families

Background: Safe and Supportive Schools

Mental health challenges among our nation’s youth is a growing public health concern, as recent studies reveal an alarming increase in the number of adolescents reporting persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Creating safe and supportive school environments is critical for the overall well-being and success of students, providing positive outcomes. When students feel secure in their surroundings, they are more likely to participate in their academic success, form positive social connections at school and home, and are less likely to engage in harmful behaviors and report feelings of stress and anxiety.

Establishing this type of learning environment requires a collaborative approach between schools, families and the community. Family engagement has been identified as a key component in efforts to cultivate positive and inclusive learning environments where students feel welcome, seen and heard. In 2021, CDC Foundation entered into a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support youth mental health and well-being through family engagement, providing opportunities to hear directly from parents and caregivers about their perspectives and attitudes on matters that may impact their child’s school experiences, mental health and overall wellbeing. Fostering an environment that values respect, understanding and where each student feels included contributes to academic achievement and fosters the growth and resilience of students.

About the project:

Through this project, the CDC Foundation is working to empower families by:

  • providing opportunities to hear directly from them on their concerns around school and education-related topics that may impact youth mental health and wellbeing;
  • sharing the key findings with parents and caregivers as well as organizations that serve the school community;
  • gathering information on the types of support and resources they perceive to be the most beneficial to support youth mental health and wellbeing;
  • using the feedback from parents and caregivers to develop resources to support youth mental health and wellbeing;
  • and disseminating the resources either directly to parents and caregivers or to organizations that serve the school community.

Successful parent engagement involves establishing meaningful partnerships that empower parents to actively contribute to their child's academic and social development. During the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years, the CDC Foundation partnered with the National PTA to hear directly from parents and caregivers on their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs on a variety of topics related to their child’s education and safe and supportive learning environments. The key findings from the surveys were released by the National PTA through a series of press releases and in two virtual town halls. Additionally, the 2022-2023 data were added to an interactive dashboard developed by McGeeney Consulting Partners, LLC. The dashboard allows users to filter between topic area, demographics, and survey waves.

 

Conference Materials

For the 2023 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Expo, a poster and supplemental resource were created with the goal of: 

  • describing parental concerns about school violence and parental preferences for school emergency preparedness and
  • discussing potential modifications to school emergency preparedness protocols to improve parental satisfaction.

View and download these conference materials.

 

Media Literacy Campaign Materials

During the 2022 – 2023 academic year, the CDC Foundation also partnered with The Public Good Projects, an organization specializing in public health communications, to support promotion of safe and supportive learning environments for students and improved media literacy skills for parents. Through this partnership, a number of resources were developed to support improved media literacy skills, enabling parents to become better consumers of online information on matters related to their child’s school or education in general.

View and download these resources.

 


This webpage about Improving Mental, Behavioral and Academic Supports to Students and Families, Part 2, is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,939,999 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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walkable community
United States of America
To improve mental, behavioral and academic support to students, families and teachers by sharing resources and information about COVID-19.
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Enhancing Community Capacity to Support HIV Self-Testing

Background

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in eight people living with HIV in the United States is undiagnosed, and more than one third of all new HIV infections are transmitted by people who do not know that they have HIV. HIV self-tests, which can be done at home or in other private settings, are a confidential way for people to learn their HIV status, and this knowledge can help connect them to lifesaving preventative tools and treatment. Because of COVID-19 lockdowns and closures, HIV self-testing increased over the past two years, and it has proven to be a cost-effective way to make HIV testing more accessible in regions where healthcare is often a challenge—including in communities with limited access to affordable medical testing, rural communities and those that are disproportionately affected by HIV.

Solution and Impact

The CDC Foundation is funding 53 community-based organizations in this program to help increase access to HIV self-testing in communities across the country. Their programs establish or expand upon HIV self-testing programs by:

  • Procuring and distributing HIV self-test kits to clients
  • Distributing other HIV risk reduction products
  • Developing communication products that educate clients about HIV self-testing
  • Equipping trusted influential messengers
  • Hosting or supporting local events
  • Developing educational campaigns
  • Collaborating with state and/or local health departments
  • Collaborating with medical clinics, SSPs or other community-serving organizations
  • Developing safe spaces for clients

Learn more about the 53 community-based organizations we support.


This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9M with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.

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Enhancing Community Capacity to Support HIV Self-Testing
United States of America
To build and expand the capacity of community-based organizations to implement and improve HIV self-testing programs.
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Partnering for Vaccine Equity

The National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit

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P4VE NAIIS award
At the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit in Atlanta, the CDC Foundation accepted the award for “Health Equity & Access Immunization Champion” for the ongoing work on the Partnering for Vaccine Equity program.

The CDC Foundation is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the Partnering for Vaccine Equity (P4VE) program to increase equity in adult immunization.

The benefits of vaccination are not realized equally across the population of the United States. Adult vaccination coverage remains low nationally and significant racial and ethnic disparities exist.

The CDC Partnering for Vaccine Equity (P4VE) program provides funding and support to a network of national, state and local organizations prioritizing equity in COVID-19 and flu vaccination access.

Through this program, the CDC Foundation supports 101 community-based organizations (CBOs) representing 34 states and Washington, D.C. The CBOs are working to develop locally focused outreach to increase vaccine education, access and acceptance in groups that have been marginalized by long-standing health and social inequities—including racial and ethnic minority groups, refugees and immigrants, persons with disabilities, rural populations and others.

In addition, the CDC Foundation partners with five national digital marketing and media organizations to address misinformation about COVID-19 and the flu. The media partners monitor and combat misinformation about vaccines across social media channels and promote digital health literacy among communities experiencing disparities in immunization. They also develop digital assets for community-based organizations including videos and graphic images that can be used in vaccine outreach.

The CDC Foundation also created and maintains the Vaccine Resource Hub—an online repository of free materials about COVID-19, influenza, and other adult vaccines. The site gives CBOs and the public access to accurate and diverse resources and information about vaccines in over 50 languages and offers inspiring stories about the innovative P4VE work.

The partnerships forged through this collaborative program will create stronger, more resilient communities and a healthier future for everyone.

Read our recent blog about the Southeast Arizona Health Education Center in Nogales, AZ.


Years 1-3 of this project were supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $69,392,486 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.

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COVID vaccination
Partnering for Vaccine Equity
United States of America
To increase vaccine confidence, access and acceptance among adults, especially in communities that have been marginalized by long-standing health and social inequities.
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