Prejudice, bias, and a lack of cultural competency can make health systems inaccessible for racial and ethnic minority communities and further increase disparities in COVID-19 infections and deaths.

Denise Octavia Smith, M.B.A., C.H.W., P.N., is the founding Executive Director of the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW), whose mission is to unify and strengthen community health workers (CHWs) to support communities in achieving health equity and social justice. In this follow-up interview on her presentation at the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH)'s September 2020 virtual symposium, Mrs. Smith discusses how NACHW's strategy and efforts have evolved throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including leveraging cultural and linguistic competency to address COVID-19 misinformation and addressing the lack of mental health resources for CHWs.

Read Mrs. Smith's Full Blog Read the Previous Four Blogs in the Series

Read about the latest updates from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on COVID-19 treatments and prevention:

• Emergency use authorization of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older.
• Authorization for state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid to eligible patients. 
• Recommendation to include Omicron BA.4/5 component for COVID-19 vaccine boosters for the 2022 fall and winter seasons. 
  

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Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms but milder. Initial symptoms of monkeypox infection may include:

• Fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough
• A rash of lesions on the skin

Human-to-human transmission of monkeypox occurs through direct contact with body fluids, lesions, prolonged face-to-face contact, and indirect contact with contaminated clothing or bedding. 

While there is no specific treatment approved for monkeypox, some antiviral medications used to treat smallpox and other conditions may help patients with monkeypox infection. The JYNNEOS and ACAM2000 vaccines have also been FDA-approved to prevent smallpox and monkeypox. The HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has authorized delivery of the JYNNEOS vaccine from the Strategic National Stockpile to jurisdictions to support their local monkeypox response efforts.

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 Read About the White House's Monkeypox Response

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2022: Achieving the Bold Vision of Health Equity for Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Other Underserved Populations provides information on cancer disparities in:

• Preventable cancer risk factors
• Screening and early detection
• Treatment and clinical research
• Survivorship

The report offers ways to overcome cancer disparities through greater diversity in the cancer workforce and public policy. It also includes personal stories by survivors. 

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August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, a time when we come together to address the main challenge in transplantation: the gap between the need for organ transplants and the supply of donated organs.

Minority communities have disproportionately higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease which contribute to organ failure and the need for an organ transplant. Over 100,000 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list, with more than 60 percent representing racial and ethnic minorities.

This National Minority Donor Awareness Month, we:

• Demonstrate the need for more organ, eye, and tissue donors within multicultural communities.
• Provide donation education and outreach materials.
• Encourage donor registration.
• Promote healthy living and disease prevention to decrease the need for transplantation.

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