New York State, New York City, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands' Health Department Experiences Promoting Health Equity During the Initial COVID-19 Omicron Variant Period, 2021-2022.
Health Secur
; 21(S1): S25-S34, 2023 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37590481
In this case study, we aim to understand how health departments in 5 US jurisdictions addressed health inequities and implemented strategies to reach populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 during the initial Omicron variant period. We used qualitative methods to examine health department experiences during the initial Omicron surge, from November 2021 to April 2022, assessing successful interventions, barriers, and lessons learned from efforts to promote health equity. Our findings indicate that government leadership supported prioritizing health equity from the beginning of the pandemic, seeing it as a need and vital part of the response framework. All jurisdictions acknowledged the historical trauma and distrust of the government. Health departments found that collaborating and communicating with trusted community leaders helped mitigate public distrust. Having partnerships, resources, and infrastructure in place before the pandemic facilitated the establishment of equity-focused COVID-19 response activities. Finally, misinformation about COVID-19 was a challenge for all jurisdictions. Addressing the needs of diverse populations involves community-informed decisionmaking, diversity of thought, and delivery measures that are tailored to the community. It is imperative to expand efforts to reduce and eliminate health inequities to ensure that individuals and communities recover equitably from the effects of COVID-19.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Equidade em Saúde
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Aspecto:
Equity_inequality
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
/
Caribe
/
Caribe ingles
/
Islas virgenes de los estados unidos
/
Puerto rico
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Health Secur
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de publicação:
Estados Unidos