The Issue: 

While the mpox outbreak has slowed, there is a continued risk of resurgence, especially without a focus on prevention efforts and vaccination with the JYNNEOS vaccine. Further, the 2022 outbreak showed that certain populations are affected by mpox more than others, including men who have sex with men (MSM) and LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and more) individuals. 

Solution and Impact: 

In September 2023, the CDC Foundation, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced $5 million in support to 44 community-based organizations (CBOs) working to increase vaccine confidence, access and acceptance among those most affected by mpox. These organizations are trusted local resources and understand the historic and ongoing discrimination, inequities and stigma their community members face, especially around healthcare issues. CBOs communicate information about mpox prevention in clear, accurate and relevant ways, ensuring more people have the resources they need to make informed decisions about vaccination. 

To help prevent a renewed mpox outbreak, CBOs have worked towards:

• Increasing availability of accurate information about the safety and effectiveness of the mpox vaccine delivered in innovative and culturally appropriate ways.
• Increasing mpox vaccine confidence, access and uptake in at-risk communities, including MSM, trans, HIV+ and LGBTQ+ individuals/communities as well as in Black and Hispanic communities

Background

Infection Associated Chronic Conditions (IACCs) are chronic medical conditions that are initially triggered by an infection. While many different pathogens have been associated with the development of IACCs, different IACCs share several common features:

• IACCs tend to cause severe impacts to quality of life;
• IACCs typically impact a disproportionately high rate of female patients;
• IACCs are often characterized by neurological or immunological pathology; and
• IACCs comprise diffuse organ system interactions; and require multidisciplinary care.

Millions of Americans were living with IACCs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the exact number is unknown. Large-scale epidemiological studies identifying the number or percentage of Americans with any IACC has not been undertaken to date. US population estimates of just a few IACCs published before or at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that these conditions were already widespread

About the Project

The global COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented awareness of the long-term health effects of IACCs. The number of people living with Long COVID-associated conditions or other infection-associated conditions—including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other forms of dysautonomia, mast-cell activation syndrome, persistent Lyme disease/chronic Lyme disease and more—continue to increase.

Through the Infection Initiated Chronic Conditions Understanding and Engagement (ICUE) program, the CDC Foundation, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are bringing together patient advocacy groups and community-based organizations focused on raising awareness and helping people living with IACCs to identify common priorities and opportunities to collaborate, including exploring the development of an IACC Patient Advocacy Coalition (IACCPAC).

Summary Report

We’re pleased to announce that the first summary report, following our series of workshops on the needs and priorities of the infection-associated chronic conditions patient community, by the IACCPAC—a part of the IACCPAC Initiative, led by The Long Covid Alliance, Solve ME/CFS Initiative, COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project, Dysautonomia International, and Patient-Led Research Collaborative, with support from the CDC Foundation through the ICUE program—is now available and can be accessed here.

Partners

• Dysautonomia International
• Commonality, Inc.
• Solve ME/CFS Initiative, Inc.
• Patient-Led Research Collaborative
• COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project

This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $77,990 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

BACKGROUND

Clean water and sanitation are critical for maintaining good health and preventing the spread of disease. In the United States, many people take for granted that safe water is accessible just by turning on a faucet, but today an estimated 2.2 million Americans live in homes without running water or basic plumbing. Because of aging water infrastructure and failing septic systems, tens of millions more lack adequate sanitation facilities for the safe disposal of human waste and wastewater treatment. Although water insecurity threatens the health of all communities, research shows that Latino, Black and Indigenous communities are much more likely to experience poor water and sanitation systems. Immigrants and people living in low-income and rural areas are also disproportionately affected.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

To help address the urgent and growing health problems caused by contaminated water, the CDC Foundation is supporting six organizations working to increase public awareness of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues and improve these conditions in communities experiencing limited access or unsafe water systems. The CDC Foundation funding supports organizations working in California, the Appalachia region, the Navajo Nation and urban and rural communities in the Black Belt and Jackson, MS.

These organizations are working to identify the water and sanitation needs in their respective regions and connect community members with available services. They address poor WASH conditions on the household level by increasing access to water testing, distributing water filters, installing home water systems, and establishing water delivery programs and free hygiene pantries to provide soap and other personal hygiene supplies. They also conduct outreach in multiple languages to increase awareness of the importance of safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

As part of this project, each organization also chose a representative to participate in the OpEd Workshop, a unique opportunity to work with a network of media mentors to write effective and powerful pieces about the water crisis and the work they are doing to address it. 

The organizations receiving support are:

• Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program (BBUWP) and PEER Consulting
• Community Resource Center
• The DigDeep Right to Water Project (The Navajo Water Project and The Appalachia Water Project)
• El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center
• People’s Advocacy Institute
• West Central Alabama Community Health Improvement League, Inc.

Read our blog about how these organizations are addressing the water crisis and ensure access to clean, safe water for everyone.