To better track the spread of COVID-19, scientists in the New York State Department of Health brought a new eye to a resource already at their fingertips. Scientists sought to determine if testing dried blood spots for antibodies gathered from newborn screening might be useful in tracking the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in New York.

Alaska’s interior is one of the most ruggedly beautiful places in the United States. But for residents in the region’s scattered rural communities, the remote and isolated wilderness also presents challenges to accessing clean water and sanitation.

Dogs are known for a sense of smell so acute they have the ability to detect cancer, monitor diabetes and screen for an array of infectious diseases. Recently, several groups around the world have demonstrated that dogs are also able screen individuals for COVID-19 infections.

“Our collective future depends on all communities having equitable opportunities for health, wellbeing and economic vitality,” says Dr. Lisa Waddell, chief medical officer. “That’s why our partnership with community-based organizations is so important.”

Health departments across the country, many with the aid of CDC Foundation Workforce and Vaccine Initiative staff and community partners, continue to develop innovative strategies to increase uptake and address relevant health equity issues in their jurisdictions.

At some point in our lives, many of us will likely be a caregiver to someone we know with an illness, injury or disease that prevents self-sufficiency. Sometimes it only lasts a few days, but many take on this role for years. With American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people ages 65 and older more pre-disposed to dementia than other racial and ethnic groups, including Alzheimer’s, this increases the likelihood of being a caregiver in tribal communities.

Throughout the current pandemic it has become clear that racial and ethnic minority groups have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. To address the gaps, the CDC Foundation and the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine created a Health Equity Task Force to monitor and assess the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations.

Drs. Rose S. and Eugene “Gene” J. Gangarosa, MD, MS, EIS '65 have a long-standing passion for public health and are linked to the CDC Foundation by their dedicated support, including their two endowed funds focused on safe water.