The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH), in partnership with the National Association of State Offices of Minority Health (NASOMH) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), will host the first virtual training session for the States, Islands, and Territories Health Equity - Community of Practice (SITHE-COP). The training, Best Practices in Developing Health Equity Objectives: The Key to Unlocking State and Federal-Level Funding, will focus on helping to make current SMART (specific, measurable, accurate, realistic, and time-phased) objectives in health plans SMART-er.

The SITHE-COP will focus on the sustained engagement of States and Territories in capacity-building activities and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange for developing and incorporating health disparity/health equity objectives in health plans. Directors and/or staff from State, Island, and Territory health departments; Offices of Minority Health; Offices of Health Equity; and any other offices that are responsible for the State Health Improvement Plans are invited to participate.

Please register for the training session by submitting your contact information via email to SITHE-COP@WilliamsConsultingLLC.com. You will then receive a Zoom calendar invite for the training.
August 24, at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Contact SITHE-COP

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has declared the ongoing spread of the monkeypox virus in the United States a Public Health Emergency (PHE). This action will further strengthen and accelerate the federal government's response in recognition of the continued rapid transmission of monkeypox in the U.S. and globally.

The PHE declaration is in concert with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) work to explore new strategies that could help get vaccines to affected communities across the country, including using a new dose-sparing approach that could increase the number of doses available.

Learn More About the PHE Declaration

Learn More about Monkeypox Más información sobre la viruela del mono

In April, the White House issued a Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19. In response to the memorandum, HHS developed two reports that pave an actionable path forward to address Long COVID and its associated conditions.

The National Research Action Plan on Long COVID details advances in current research and charts a course for future study to better understand the prevention and treatment of Long COVID. The Services and Supports for Longer-Term Impacts of COVID-19 report highlights resources for health care workers and those affected by broader effects of COVID-19, including not only Long COVID but also effects on mental health and substance use and loss of caregivers and loved ones.

Learn More

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, community health workers (CHWs) have been instrumental in providing COVID-19 education, promoting vaccine confidence, and distributing vaccines and personal protective equipment. 

The Families USA issue brief, What We Have Learned from Community Health Workers Throughout the Pandemic: Recommendations for Policymakers, offers takeaways and policy recommendations from CHW listening sessions held in November 2021. The brief addresses CHW-identified needs such as mental health support and up-to-date education and training as the pandemic evolves. 

Learn More Download the Issue Brief (PDF)

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently updated its Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Key recommendations include:

• Exclusive breastfeeding for about six months, with complementary food introduction at about six months
• Continued breastfeeding until two years or beyond, if desired by both mother and child
• Maternity care practices that improve breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity
• Provision of culturally congruent breastfeeding care, including socially and culturally sensitive policies that address inequities and seek to eliminate disparities in breastfeeding

Read the Full Policy Statement

The Latinx LGBT+ Community: The Consequences of Intersectionality curriculum, developed by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center in collaboration with the Institute of Research Education and Services of Addiction, provides information on the intersection between culture, ethnic minority status, gender identity, and sexual orientation and its impact on the psychological health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Latino populations. The curriculum is available in English and Spanish.

Learn More Más información