Project Abstract
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is respectfully requesting your review and support of this application for Component A of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant A Strategic Approach to Advancing Health Equity for Priority Populations with or at Risk for Diabetes. This opportunity would provide the funding and support for ADPH to implement and advance efforts around diabetes prevention and management.
Alabama presently has an adult diagnosed diabetes prevalence over 15 percent; and 22 percent of children/adolescents are estimated to have obesity. The diabetes prevalence is higher for Alabama’s African American populations (27 percent of Alabama’s total population). Social determinants such as economic stability, healthcare access and quality, built environment, and social context affect these diabetes outcomes and efforts to reduce the likelihood of individuals developing these conditions. For example, 16 percent of Alabama’s population lived in poverty during the 2020 census; nine Alabama counties do not have a hospital, and many counties have an area designated as a health professional shortage area.
ADPH is a semi-centralized state health department based in Montgomery, Alabama. It has eight public health districts in the state and county health departments in all sixty-seven counties in Alabama that provide access to state-wide reach. Additionally, the Diabetes Program at ADPH has district staff with social work backgrounds that have unique familiarity with the areas in which they are employed. The ADPH Diabetes Program has many partners, internal and external, with experience targeting and working with specific populations.
With this funding, staff experience, and partners’ expertise, Alabama is optimistic it can improve diabetes prevention, increase community resource linkages, and address health equity as required by this cooperative agreement. The activities proposed for this project involve the improved and modified continuation of collaboration with partners funded under the 1305 and 1815 agreements. Included is the implementation of new activities to improve sustainability of diabetes programs through the formation of pharmacy and umbrella networks, address childhood obesity as part of the diabetes prevention efforts, increase access and enrollment of priority populations in diabetes programs, and support leaders of diabetes programs in work to advance health equity. The proposed project activities are related to the six chosen strategies that include evidence-based approaches to diabetes management, evidence-based approaches to Type 2 diabetes prevention and risk reduction, and policy and systems-level support for diabetes management and Type 2 diabetes prevention.
Organization: Alabama Department of Public Health
Location: 201 Monroe Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
Selected Component: Component A