Conversations in Equity Posts
Promoting and Protecting the Health of Women: Saving Lives by Preventing Drug Overdoses
“Here’s your script”, the doctor said to me [Karin], as he handed me a refill for an opioid medication at a post-surgical follow-up visit. This action caught me off guard. I was fortunate that my pain had been short-lived and easily controlled, and I hadn’t finished the initial round of medications I was given. Thankfully, Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentPhysical Inactivity is More Common among Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Most States
Join Active People, Healthy NationSM to help more people become physically active. Too many adults are inactive, and inactivity levels differ notably by race and ethnicity. These facts make me all the more committed to the success of Active People, Healthy NationSM, CDC’s new initiative to make it easier for people to be physically active Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsPromoting and protecting the health of women and girls: In celebration of the Office of Women’s Health on their 25th Anniversary!
Congratulations to CDC’s Office of Women’s Health (OWH) on celebrating 25 years! That’s 25 years of promoting public health research, evidence-based programs, policies, and strategies that improve the health and safety of all women and girls. It is quite an accomplishment. The Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) is pleased to have collaborated with OWH throughout Read More >
Posted on by 18 CommentsAddressing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Adult Obesity and Encouraging Physical Activity this National Minority Health Month
Every person should be able to reach his or her full health potential. I’m proud of the work we do in CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) to support Americans’ journey to good health—especially among people most vulnerable to chronic disease. We protect the health of Americans at every stage of life by encouraging regular physical activity and good nutrition, helping to prevent obesity in children and adults, and addressing barriers to treating obesity in children. Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentMission Possible: A Year in Review
As a long-time scientist and physician, I’ve treated patients in a range of environments – from U.S. cities and military bases, to sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in 2010. Throughout those experiences, I saw firsthand the impact that health disparities could have on health outcomes. That’s why – even Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsMission Possible: Reducing Disparities in Preterm Births in the United States
In 2001, a woman was transported to a Georgia hospital in preterm labor. She delivered a baby boy at 34 weeks gestation, six weeks before her due date. However, before this baby’s early birth, she was given medications to help her baby’s lungs mature more rapidly, and to slow down the labor. After her baby Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsMission Possible: Science to Action – Reducing Health Disparities
Nestor, a young man from El Salvador, was born with HIV but did not learn about his infection until he was a preteen. Arianna is a transgender woman living in the southern United States; she has been living with HIV since 2006. Anthony, who lives in New York, has been living with HIV for 23 Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsMission Possible: Preparing and Responding to Disasters through a Health Equity Lens
It was September 2017, and like many others, I was watching as Hurricane Maria moved across the Atlantic Ocean heading towards the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Having been part of the recent responses to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, I was all too aware of the potential for devastation, especially for the most vulnerable Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsMission Possible: Achieving Health Equity through Inclusive Public Health Practice
This month, we recognize the 28th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the most comprehensive federal disability rights law that helps to ensure equal access. On a beautiful spring morning, with the air crisp and the sun gently beaming down a father gathers a backpack of daily essentials and maneuvers his wheelchair towards Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentMission Possible: Too Heavy a Burden: Thoughts on the Impact of Violence Disparities Experienced by African Americans
I have fond childhood memories of spending Saturdays riding my bike purposefully through my neighborhood. There was nothing better than a sunny day that created the canvas for the perfect adventure-stopping at the library to check out a new book, getting a fresh pastry from the local bakery, and venturing across the neighborhood to walk Read More >
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