Wednesday, June 3, 2020

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

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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.
 

  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.
 


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

GHN News



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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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Updates

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.

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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.