Friday, April 26, 2024
4/26/2024
As of April, 2021, Michigan leads the U.S. in rates of COVID-19 infections, positive tests and hospitalizations per 100,000 people. The COVID-19 positivity rate is 18.6% in Wayne County (WC), the state?s most populous county. In WC, 27% of people have received one vaccination dose; this rate is 5% among Black persons. The pandemic has revealed disparities in racial and ethnic minority populations, which comprise 50% of the project?s total target population of 160,567 people across nine cities. Black residents make up 14% of Michigan?s population but 43% of COVID-19 deaths, a rate four times greater than of White populations. Among Hispanics, rates of infection are twice as high as for White residents. Arab and other immigrant populations comprise 15.3% of Wayne County?s population. Arabs comprise 1.5% of Michigan?s population and 3% of coronavirus deaths. Because the U.S. census classifies Middle Eastern and other ethnicities as ?White?, infection rates are unreported among these communities. COVID-19 infection rates are five times higher among the majority Black population (72%) of Wayne County?s jail population than in other groups. Persistent structural inequities including racism and xenophobia have caused social vulnerability among minority populations in Wayne County, leaving them more at-risk of COVID-19. Nearly 1 in 3 people in the target areas lives in poverty with low rates of college education and 9% do not have health insurance. Black, Hispanic and immigrant people often cannot easily protect themselves from infections by socially distancing due to frontline jobs that cannot be performed at home and overcrowded housing; the number of persons per room in these cities ranges from 2.23 to 3.48. Incarceration also prevents social distancing. In the focus area, 20% of residents speak a language other than English. Black, Hispanic and immigrant communities often distrust government and medical institutions due to a history of healthcare ma lpractice, not being taken seriously by doctors, and fear of sharing private information that may be misused. Language and literacy barriers restrict access to vital health messaging that is often confusing, written for college-level literacy and only in English. There is a need to deliver accessible culturally and linguistically responsive services to minority and jail populations experiencing health disparities, to increase access to, acceptance and use of COVID-19 testing, tracing and vaccination measures. Our project?s health literacy strategies are designed to do this. A diverse multilingual Partner Advisory Committee comprised of eleven health, academic and community partners has the expertise, cultural competence and resources to create and disseminate culturally and linguistically tailored communications written in plain and multiple languages. Bilingual community health workers, faith leaders and volunteers who share cultural values and experiences of targeted populations, will be trained in health literacy practices. Leveraging social networks to deliver key messages, via social media, flyers, webinars and events, they will help persuade people to get tested and vaccinated. They will refer those without a primary care provider to federally qualified health centers for free care. Health centers will be assessed for health literacy and offered training to address gaps. A health literacy curriculum will be created and translated for adult education and ESL classes. A web repository of COVID-19 communications will be created for wide access and dissemination. Results from evaluation of data from focus groups, surveys, and vaccination records, along with continuous quality improvement, will be used to assess project efforts, make improvements, and promote sustainability of effective health literacy practices. With project results and committed leadership, Wayne County?s health infrastructure and capacity to prepare for future health events will be strengthened .
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
