Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
DC Health Initiative to address COVID-19 Health Disparities - In the District of Columbia, COVID-19 was the 3rd leading cause of death in 2020 with a preliminary total of 799 lives lost in 2020, and 1,102 so far in the pandemic. Rates and patterns of illness, such as hospitalizations and recovery vs. deaths, varied substantially by race and place. Black/African American residents experienced 49% of cases vs. 75% of deaths, while Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic (NH) White residents made up 21% of cases vs. 11% of deaths and 26% of cases vs. 10% of deaths, respectively. Most deaths occurred in the 60+ age range and geographically concentrated to the east/southeast, where the eastern-most neighborhoods Wards 5 (18%), 7 (16%), and 8 (19%) experienced cumulative mortality, between 1.3 and 1.5 times the city-wide crude rate of 157.1 per 100,000 population. The District of Columbia is divided into 8 wards and currently the total number of COVID-19 cases in Wards 5 (7,104), 7 (6,613), and 8 (6,910) is more than 2.5 times higher compared to neighboring Ward 3 (2,555). The District has administered 422,000 vaccine doses; 15.7% of District residents are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Disparities in vaccine administration exist with 9% of Ward 8 residents fully vaccinated vs. 20% of Ward 3 residents. These trends also mirror income inequities by wards in the District with adverse health outcomes disproportionately affecting lower-income residents in Wards 5, 7, and 8. For example, while the median household income in the District is 31% higher than the national median, the median incomes of Wards 7 and 8 are lower than that national median at 27% and 43%, respectively Through the National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities, DC Health aims to increase testing and contract tracing among District populations at high risk for COVID-19 through mobile and pop up testing events; develop and disseminate culturally and linguistically appropriate materials to racial and ethnic populations to increase knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 vaccinations, contract tracing and testing; increase data and reporting infrastructure to track COVID-19 and vaccination rates in the District; and finally, develop the Health Opportunity Index for the District of Columbia
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).