June is Men's Health Month. June 2020

June is Men's Health Month The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) recognizes June as Men's Health Month, a national observance used to raise awareness about health care for men and focus on encouraging boys, men and their families to practice and implement healthy living decisions. We invite you to join us in promoting messages like OMH's Five Plays for Men’s Health that remind men and boys that they can improve their health by seeking medical advice and taking other important steps, such as making healthy food choices, staying active, quitting smoking, getting regular checkups and taking care of their mental health. Learn More

June 2020. Funding Opportunities.

Funding

Emergency Response Innovation Challenges The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) funds the development of health technology tools to support the needs of the general public and the health care system affected by large-scale health crises.  Deadline is June 12. General Public Health Care System National Indian Health Outreach and Education The HHS Indian Health Service (IHS) supports outreach and education efforts on mental health, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, diabetes and health care access for American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Deadline is June 29. Learn More Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Payment Program The HHS Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides graduate medical education funding for freestanding children's teaching hospitals.  Deadline is July 24.  Learn More Run for Good Grant The Saucony Run for Good Foundation supports nonprofit running programs for children 18 years or younger. Deadline is June 15. Learn More Firearm Injury Surveillance Through Emergency Rooms The HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) support state and local governments' reporting of emergency department visits for nonfatal firearm injuries and the dissemination of surveillance findings to stakeholders working to prevent or respond to firearm injuries. Deadline is July 8.  Learn More Engaging Men in HIV Testing, Prevention, and Care The HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH) support strategies to increase the engagement of men in HIV prevention and care among populations with lower rates of engagement and retention in HIV prevention and care. Deadline is September 7. Learn More

June 25, 2020. Supporting the Resilience of Black Men: Culturally Affirming and Responsive Approaches to Engagement, Treatment, and Recovery

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Recovery LIVE! Supporting the Resilience of Black Men: Culturally Affirming and Responsive Approaches to Engagement, Treatment, and Recovery Thursday | June 25, 2020 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. EDT The experiences of Black men with mental illness, substance use disorder, and recovery are unique in ways that have crucial implications for service delivery. SAMHSA’s Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) invites you to join national experts in a conversation about the experiences of Black men with mental illness, substance use disorder (SUD), or both. Our presenters will highlight current research and describe best practices and promising strategies for supporting the recovery of Black men. Join us for this free, interactive virtual event moderated by Devin Reaves, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition. Register For The Virtual Event Registration will close 60 minutes before the event start time. Presenters: Daryl McGraw, Recovery Specialist, C4 Innovations Mosi Kamau Kitwana, Director, Community Healing Network Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Professor, University of Michigan School of Social Work, and Director, YBMen Project

Systems Failure: LE. Re-Design the System Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center. June 2020.

A Message on the Killing of George Floyd

Photo credit: munshots/Unsplash.com As the director of The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, I share our country’s horror at the killing of George Floyd. A killing made particularly disturbing by the fact that it came at the hands of someone who was vested with the power and responsibility to enforce laws and protect and serve the community. The CSG Justice Center’s tagline is “advancing safety and second chances.” Safety means not just the absence of crime, but also the positive presence of government institutions that people can trust have their best interests at heart. Everyone is entitled to safety and deserves to be served by a government that not only minimizes harm but maximizes well-being. And until we can truly say that every Black person in America can trust in the criminal justice system to treat them fairly and with dignity and respect, our goals to advance safety and second chances for all cannot be achieved. To that end, the CSG Justice Center is committed to using our energy and influence to oppose racism and racial bias and support our nation’s justice systems to live up to their highest ideals. We also recognize that this is a time to reflect on our own work and priorities. As are so many others, we are asking ourselves if we have done enough to advance racial equity through our work. The answer is assuredly no—we can, must, and will do more.   See what we're planning >

FROM OUR PARTNERS

A Series on Racism as a Determinant of Health and Equity

Image credit: Jess Rodrigues/Shutterstock.com The American Public Health Association is hosting a four-part webinar series that will examine the systems, policies, and practices designed to limit and shape opportunities for people of color, and actions that can advance racial equity and justice. The first in the series will take place on Tuesday, June 9, from 2–3:30 p.m. ET.   Register now >

June 2020. Red Flags in Drug Research COVID-19..

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Red Flags Raised on Research 2 top medical journals are reviewing major studies they published on potential COVID-19 treatments (including hydroxychloroquine) after questions about their data surfaced yesterday, Science reports. The papers in The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine shared a common source: A little-known company called Surgisphere. A Lancet "expression of concern" acknowledges that “important scientific questions have been raised about data” in a May 22 study that cast doubt on the benefits of hydroxycholoroquine for COVID-19 patients—and suggested it could even be deadly. The news put the brakes on large randomized trials drug trials. The Lancet announced that an independent audit of the data is underway. Nicholas White, a malaria researcher at Mahidol University in Bangkok, is one of the researchers who noticed red flags including details about patient demographics that didn’t add up. “It began to stretch and stretch and stretch credulity,” he says. Another paper, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on May 1, indicated that certain blood pressure drugs did not appear to increase the death risk for COVID-19 patients—also relied on Surgisphere data. The NEJM also issued an EOC indicating that they are seeking evidence of the data’s reliability from the study authors. Surgisphere has not publicly released the data underlying the studies, but is in discussions to provide the study authors with additional details.

June 2020 Funding Opportunity Announcements

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Funding Opportunity Announcements: The Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) Initiative NIH has issued a Notice of Intent to Publish (NOITP) four Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) as part of Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations (RADx-UP), a $500 million initiative to reduce COVID-19 associated morbidity and mortality disparities for vulnerable and underserved populations that are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. NIMHD will be participating in these FOAs, which include three Notices of Special Interest that solicit community-engaged research to (1) understand COVID-19 disparities and increase access to and effectiveness of diagnostic testing interventions among underserved and vulnerable populations and (2) understand the social, ethical, and behavioral implications of testing in these populations. An RFA to support a Coordination and Data Collection Center (CDCC) will also be announced. The FOAs are expected to be published in early June. Applications will be accepted through August 2020 for FY20 funding. Learn More

UNECA and COVID-19 Response in Afric

UNECA and COVID-19 Response in Africa Vera Songwe, the executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, will join Masood Ahmed to discuss the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 in Africa, debt standstills, and gender responsive policies. Tune in at 10:00am ET (14:00 GMT) on Friday, June 12 for the latest CGD Conversation on COVID-19 and Development. REGISTER >>

June 2020. Congratulations, you've earned a Bronze badge for your contribution to OpenPandemics - COVID-19

Dear Black Emergency Managers Association International                                     

Congratulations, you've earned a Bronze badge for your contribution to OpenPandemics - COVID-19
May 25, 2020 - You just earned a Bronze badge for the contribution you've made to OpenPandemics - COVID-19. Thanks for your participation, and we look forward to your continued support!

Help Stop COVID-19 and Future Pandemics in Their Tracks
May 14, 2020 - The OpenPandemics - COVID-19 project helps researchers at Scripps Research look for potential COVID-19 treatments. But that's just the beginning for our newest project, and we need your help.

The Microbiome Immunity Project Must Go On!
May 11, 2020 - Research in the time of a pandemic is more important than ever. Here?s how the Microbiome Immunity Project team is making continued progress while working from home.

Thanks for all your support,

The World Community Grid Team

Mental Health. Zoloft supply. June 3, 2020

A popular anti-depressant drug, Zoloft, is in short supply as stocks diminish following a spike in mental health problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Food and Drug Administration moved the drug to a list of those facing shortages on Friday. 

Overall Zoloft has seen a 12 percent increase in prescriptions—to 4.9 million—over the past year, Bloomberg reports.

Cyclone Nisarga approaches Mumbai. June 3, 2020

Cyclone Nisarga approaches Mumbai. 

Indian authorities began evacuating residents around Mumbai on Tuesday in preparation for a cyclone due to make landfall today. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday that a depression in Arabian Sea “is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during next 12 hours, and further into a severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 12 hours.” 

It’s the second major cyclone in two weeks to hit India after Cyclone Amphan made landfall in West Bengal and neighboring Bangladesh, killing over 100 people.

Mexico Coronavirus Cases Spike, Suggesting an Underreported Outbreak. June 3, 2020

Mexico Coronavirus Cases Spike, Suggesting an Underreported Outbreak

On Tuesday Carissa Etienne, the World Health Organization’s regional director for the Americas warned that the coronavirus pandemic in the Western Hemisphere was only likely to get worse, as the effects of economic inequality exacerbate a public health crisis.

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States and Brazil—which together account for over one-third of cases worldwide—has grabbed headlines, but it’s in Mexico where the pandemic could find its next epicenter.

On Tuesday, Mexico’s health ministry reported 3,891 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily number since the outbreak began. A senior health official has sought to play down the increase. “The coronavirus epidemic is at its maximum level of intensity,” Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Mexico’s assistant health secretary and a leader in the government response, said on Tuesday. At over 10,000, the number of recorded deaths from coronavirus in Mexico is the third-highest in the Americas, behind United States and Brazil.

No testing, no data. But what should be troubling for Mexico is the lack of necessary data to track the progress of the virus—it has one of the lowest testing rates in all of Latin America.

“The Mexican government, unlike many and perhaps most governments, has declared that its epidemiological policy has no intention of counting each and every case,” López-Gatell, told the Associated Press. “We are not interested in it, because it is useless, costly and not feasible to test everybody in the country.” Mexico has instead focused on increasing the number of hospital beds available to treat patients when they fall ill.

Mourning in Mexico. In Foreign Policy, Maya Averbuch reported from the cemeteries and crematoriums of Mexico City and spoke with the grieving families who are still not being told whether their loved ones died of the coronavirus. “As a dispute has unfolded over Mexico’s management of the crisis, families are asking not for answers about how many overall deaths there might be, but for closure in their specific cases,” she writes.