9TH ANNUAL HEALTH CONFERENCE ON GLOBALIZATION AND HEALTH EQUITY POLICY: A FRAMEWORK FOR 21ST CENTURY HAITI Thursday October 18 and Friday October 19, 2012

NHAHA Conference Press Release

To: Black Emergency Managers Association

Date: August 30, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9TH ANNUAL HEALTH CONFERENCE ON GLOBALIZATION AND HEALTH EQUITY POLICY: A FRAMEWORK FOR 21ST CENTURY HAITI
August 24, 2012

The National Haitian American Health Alliance (NHAHA) will be conducting its 9th annual health conference on Thursday October 18 and Friday October 19, 2012. This will be the first year NHAHA is holding its conference in Washington D.C. and for this occasion we are inviting National and International Organizations, Universities, Schools of Public Health, Health Care Professionals and Government Agencies to participate in this event.
The topic of the conference is: Globalization and Health Equity Policy: A Framework for 21st Century Haiti. NHAHA’s 9th annual conference will use the context of Haiti to examine policies relative to achieving health equity, and what steps need to be taken to refocus on policies that address disparities and inequalities in the United States and globally.

Conference Location: Catholic University of America | Washington, D.C.
Please use the attached flyer to share and promote the NHAHA Conference throughout your professional and personal networks. The mission of the National Haitian Health Alliance (NHAHA) is to improve the health and welfare of Haitians by enhancing communication, promoting and facilitating collaborative projects and fostering cooperative relationships among similar organizations through coordinated resource and information sharing, advocacy, capacity building and education.
For media information contact:

(866) 678-8905
Conference2012@nhaha.org
Website: www.nhaha.org 

For promotion and general distribution through your personal and professional networks.

Buffalo Soilders. Our History Becomes Our Heritage. Period Equipment Assistance

We have been trying to get the trail that the Buffalo Soldiers used to get from the Presidios of San Francisco, (9^th Cav) and the Presidio of Monterey, (24^th Infantry) to Yosemite and Sequoia national Parks ratified as a Nationally recognized historical trail. Our efforts came to the attention of Congresswoman Jackie Speier  who authored HR 1022. We were invited to come to D.C. and testify  before a Congressional Subcommittee in support of the Bill which we did. Here is where it stands now.

The Speier bill H.R. 1022 passed the House on unanimous consent. Sen. Feinstein's version S. 544 had a hearing in October of 2011 and no subsequent movement. As you know the bill will need to be passed in identical form by both houses of Congress.

The new wrinkle is a bill introduced in July 2012 by New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman. S. 3399 combines the Buffalo Soldier Study Act with 10 or 12 other "study bills." If this larger bill can pass both the House and Senate the Buffalo Soldier bill will be law. This remains a long shot.

We also started a signature petition to President Obama to try and get the Third black graduate of West Point Charles Young posthumously promoted to Bridger General and the petition can be found on our Website.

Get to the point? Certainly.

We are in desperate need of funds to purchase items for our youth programs, Tents, fishing equipment, Archery equipment and money to rent buses for field trips to places like Allensworth, the Presidio and other places of historical significance to the Buffalo Soldier legacy. We also need funds to purchase period correct uniforms for our youth and adult members.

All we ask is a minimum donation of a month’s salary for a Buffalo Soldier, $13.00, please note that their white counterparts were paid $26.00 a month.

Respectfully,

David K.L. Ofwono

David K. L. Ofwono

President / Captain

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Los Banos Buffalo Soldiers

9th&10th Cavalry Association

P: 209.534.6371

www.LosBanosBuffaloSoldiers.org

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Sign the Petition - Support the Campaign!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-forgotten-veteran

Health Concern: New virus found in Missouri; ticks suspected

August 30th, 2012

10:55 AM ET

It started with fever, fatigue,  diarrhea and loss of appetite.

But for two farmers in northwestern Missouri, the severe illness that followed a tick bite led epidemiologists on a journey to a new viral discovery.

"It's brand new to the world," said William Nicholson with the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It's unique in that it's never been found elsewhere and it is the first phlebovirus found to cause illness in humans in the Western Hemisphere. At this point we don't know how widespread it may be, or whether it's found in other states. We don't know how many people in Missouri may have had this virus, as the finding of a completely new virus was a surprise to us."


Nicholson, one of the authors of the report detailing the two cases published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, suspects the new virus is a member of the tick-borne phlebovirus and is a distant cousin to Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV), a virus found in central and northeastern China and known to cause death in 13 to 30% of patients.

There are more than 70 distinct viruses in the phlebovirus family, and they're grouped according to whether they are carried and transmitted by sandflies, mosquitoes or ticks.

"We're not saying at this point that it is tick-borne," Nicholson said. "We suspect ticks. It might be a lone star tick or another tick, but we have not ruled out sandflies or mosquitoes."

According to Nicholson, this new virus "clusters genetically" - or is very similar, yet distinct - to other tick-transmitted phleboviruses and more distantly with the sandfly and mosquitoes. Researchers identified it by genetically sequencing the entire genome of the virus and comparing it to existing viral genomes.

"We're casting a wide net so we can really figure out where this virus is located and how it's being transmitted," he said. "We are also going to be doing laboratory studies to learn more about the biology of the virus and how it might be transmitted."

One farmer was a healthy 57 year-old man; the other, a 67-year-old man with type II  diabetes. Recovery for both farmers was slow. Both were hospitalized for about two weeks in 2009, and took about a month and a half to recovery fully.

It's unknown whether this new virus can be transmitted from person to person, but no family members or caregivers reported symptoms similar to either patient.

At the moment, Nicholson said, there is no cause for concern. "I don't think anyone should be worried. We are not worried ... we are curious of what role the virus plays in human disease."

To that end, an epidemiological study is underway in western Missouri, where researchers hope to identify new patients with similar symptoms. For now, researchers will turn their attention to the large number of vertebrae hosts maintaining the virus in nature - mammals both wild and and domestic, as well as birds. In the fall, they will check out the deer and wild turkey population.

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States. And while this new disease might not be tick-borne, ticks are the number-one suspect. Nicholson says people should use repellent, check themselves for bites or ticks, and avoid certain areas - if possible - that might serve as good habitats for ticks, such as wooded areas and areas with fallen leaves.

Post by: Saundra Young - CNN Medical Senior Producer

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/30/new-virus-found-in-missouri-ticks-suspected/?hpt=hp_bn12

Countdown to November 2012: Provisional Voting

Provisional Voting

Americans may find it surprising to learn that many eligible citizens in the United States are denied the right to cast ballots and have them counted on Election Day. The sad reality is that many voters are turned away from polls because their names do not appear on a list of registered voters, for a host of different reasons that may or may not be the responsibility of the individual voter. To correct this problem, Congress enacted “fail-safe” provisional voting requirements in the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), requiring election officials to provide provisional ballots to individuals who are not listed on the official list of registered voters. Once the appropriate election officials determine that the individual is indeed eligible to vote, the ballot is counted. The results of this HAVA mandate have been mixed. In some situations, poll workers have failed to offer provisional ballots to voters at all. In cases where poll workers have actually offered ballots to voters, states have applied such varying methodologies for counting provisional ballots that the “fail-safe” mechanism under HAVA has been frustrated. For example, in the 2004 general election, 96% of provisional ballots were counted in Alaska, while only 6% were counted in Delaware. Similar disparities occurred in the 2006 general election: while Maine counted 100% of its provisional ballots, Kentucky counted less than 7%. Fifteen states rejected over 50% of their provisional ballots, and 20% of provisional ballots were rejected nationwide. Why are Provisional Ballots Not Being Counted? Despite the efforts of Congress to provide a “fail-safe” mechanism to enable registered citizens to vote, the prerogative of states to impose restrictions on provisional ballots prevents thousands of these ballots from being counted. Based on state surveys completed in the two general elections following the passage of HAVA, and reports addressing the implementation of the provisional ballot requirements of HAVA in different states, Project Vote has identified four principal reasons why provisional ballots are not being counted: Individuals are not actually registered to vote. Individuals are not casting their provisional ballots in the correct precinct or jurisdiction. Individuals are submitting incomplete or unsigned provisional ballots. Individuals are failing to provide sufficient identification. Provisional Ballots Should Be Used on a Limited Basis Due to the problems with ensuring that provisional ballots are counted, it is always better to minimize the use of provisional ballots and allow eligible voters to cast regular ballots. The easiest way to enable the largest number of potential voters to cast regular ballots is to allow Election Day Registration. Recommendations Once all avenues for casting a regular ballot have been exhausted, states must ensure that provisional ballots are offered and make every effort to count them. Reasonably simple solutions can be implemented to maximize the opportunity for provisional voters to be enfranchised. Project Vote has developed several policy recommendations based upon surveys conducted across the country, a review of state statues and existing literature, and experiences with recent federal elections: Allow Provisional Ballots to Be Counted on a Statewide or Countywide Basis. Provisional Ballots Should Be Designed to be Distinguishable from Regular Ballots, Easy to Read, and Should Serve as Voter Registration Applications States Should Give Voters Who Submit Provisional Ballots Additional Time to Correct or Supply Necessary Information Poll Workers Must Be Properly Trained to Administer Provisional Voting For more information read Project Vote's Policy Brief on Provisional Voting here.

Whole Community Participation: CERT Teams in Action from March 2011.

CERT in Action!

Greenbelt CERT Joins Eastern Shore Search-and-Rescue Mission

On March 5th, 2011, 14 CERT members representing several Maryland CERTs assisted in a search for the remains of a missing person. The Delmarva Search and Rescue Group asked for CERT volunteers to join them in assisting the Maryland State Police in the search.

The police instructed CERT members to look for the remains of an elderly man with dementia who had left his farm house in 2006 armed with a pistol and had not been seen since. The police divided the woods near the man's home into four 70-acre sectors for the search and asked CERT members to look for skeletal remains, hairs, pieces of clothing, a metal leg brace, the gun, a belt buckle, or anything unusual.

The CERT worked with other groups in a carefully structured search line. They were issued metal detectors and also worked with officers with search dogs, being careful to always stay behind and downwind of the dogs. With such a large search operation, the high-visibility CERT vests proved especially useful, said Don Comis, a Greenbelt, Maryland CERT member who was part of the search team. "We needed high-visibility clothes to keep an eye on each other in the woods," noted Comis.

The search occurred in the woods bordering a corn farm in Princess Anne, Maryland, a 2.5-hour drive for most of the CERT volunteers. What motivated so many CERT members to show up for an all-day operation so far away on a Saturday? "For me, I guess it was the excitement of getting to do an actual search operation," said Comis, who in the past had also performed traffic control duties as part of his CERT activities.

Although the group was ultimately not able to locate the man's remains, the operation was a good opportunity for CERT members to practice skills and to highlight the vital role that CERT can play in assisting law enforcement and emergency personnel. Chief Jim Jackson of Delmarva Search and Rescue noted that "We had nothing but compliments on how well CERT did and the role they played in the mission. What I saw was a good indication that CERT is serious about the mission and roles they can play in that mission."

For more information, contact Ken Silberman, Greenbelt, Maryland CERT coordinator 

at   kenneth.a.silberman@nasa.gov.

http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/certinaction/greenbelt-md.shtm