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Health Equity in Action
Health equity is when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This page provides a snapshot of some of CDC’s work with partners to support communities at higher risk for COVID-19. Learn more about how CDC promotes fair access to health during COVID-19 by exploring this page.
CDC is working with state, territorial, local, and tribal partners, and community-serving organizations, to ensure all public health actions address health disparities for all populations.
During the COVID-19 response, CDC continues to focus its health equity efforts on these populations of focus. Visit the CDC COVID-19 Response Health Equity Strategy to learn more.
- People from racial and ethnic minority groups
- People living in rural or frontier areas
- People experiencing homelessness
- Essential and frontline workers
- People with disabilities
- People with substance use disorders
- People who are justice-involved
- People born outside of the US
Accessible Materials and Culturally Relevant Messages for People with Disabilities Project
Populations of focus: People with disabilities, caregivers of people with disabilities, and organizations serving people with disabilities
Purpose: Deliver essential COVID-19 information to people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers. The project helps to ensure that COVID-19 guidelines are not only accessible to people with disabilities, but also that they are culturally appropriate and relevant to the challenges people with disabilities face during emergency response situations such as COVID-19. Learn moreexternal icon
Partners: CDC Foundation and Georgia Tech Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation
Afghanistan’s Polio Program and Fight Against COVID-19
Populations of focus: Communities in Afghanistan experiencing wild poliovirus
Purpose: Make up for the missed polio vaccinations due to the temporary pause in vaccination campaigns during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic – a necessary break that helped protect health workers and communities from unnecessary exposure during the pandemic. Learn moreexternal icon
Partners: World Health Organization, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary International, Gavi
Campaign to Prevent and Control Infectious Diseases Among Migrant Foreign-born Workers in Protein-Processing Industries – Regional Demonstration Project
Population of focus: People who work in protein processing (meat, poultry, and seafood) and have limited English proficiency, as well as their families, in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
Purpose: To improve emergency preparedness and response activities among workers by strengthening partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs) and increasing CBOs’ capacity to address public health emergencies, including pandemics. Learn moreexternal icon
Partners: Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc., Rebirth, Inc., Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas (CATA), Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC), and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 27
CDC Foundation Southern Alliance
Populations of focus: African American and non-Hispanic Black people in Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi
Purpose: To enlist established and trusted organizations in mobilizing African American and non-Hispanic Black communities at higher risk for COVID-19 illness and death to adopt and sustain COVID-19 preventive and community mitigation strategies. Learn moreexternal icon
Partners: Albany State University, Jackson State University, Tulane University, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Xavier University of Louisiana
Engaging Faith Leaders to Protect their Congregations and Communities
Populations of focus: Faith leaders and faith-based organizations
Purpose: To share information, best practices, and lessons learned on engaging faith communities in COVID-19 prevention, including collaborations between faith and government partners and development of resources for faith communities. Learn more
Partners: Christian Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (Nigeria), Christian Health Association of Kenya (Kenya) and Coptic Mission, Catholic Medical Mission Board (Haiti), Mildmay (Uganda), and Circle of Hope (Zambia)
Mask America Challenge
Populations of focus: Title 1 school districts and students
Purpose: Distribute cloth masks to 40 million students, teachers, and staff members at schools receiving federal Title I funding. Learn moreexternal icon
Partners: CDC Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force, CDC Foundation, United Way, Hanes, and Business Roundtable
National Partnership for Preparedness and Rapid Response to Public Health Emergencies Among Agriculture Workers
Populations of focus: Migratory and non-US-born agriculture workers
Purpose: Build a sustainable and supportive partnership with organizations serving agriculture workers around the country to enhance CDC and organizations’ capacity to address the ongoing COVID-19 threat, and other future infectious disease emergencies, in agricultural communities. Learn moreexternal icon
Partner: National Center for Farmworker Health
National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants
Populations of focus: Refugees, immigrants, and migrants (RIM) in the United States.
Purpose: Provide a centralized hub where state and local health departments working with RIM communities can access data-driven approaches for effective COVID-19 prevention. Learn moreexternal icon
Partner: University of Minnesota
Optimizing COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control in Clinical Practice
Populations of focus: Health care providers (HCP) serving populations at disproportionate risk of COVID-19
Purpose: Optimize dissemination, adoption, and implementation of COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidance among HCPs to reduce transmission. Learn moreexternal icon
Partner: Infectious Diseases Society of America
Partnering for Vaccine Equity
Populations of focus: Healthcare providers serving Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander adults
Purpose: To build the evidence base of effective interventions for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in adult vaccination, and to make an immediate impact on racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 and influenza vaccination rates, by funding national organizations to implement tailored education, outreach, and access strategies. Learn moreexternal icon
Partners: National Medical Association, National Black Nurses Association, Choose Healthy Life, National Hispanic Medical Association, Association of American Indian Physicians, and National Council of Urban Indian Health
Promoting Vaccination Among Essential Workers
Populations of focus: Essential and frontline workers
Purpose: To support vaccine implementation for essential workers through linkages with workers, industry, labor, and other partners. Learn more
Partners: Health Action Alliance, National Occupational Research Agenda Sector Councils (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Construction; Healthcare and Social Assistance; Manufacturing; Mining; Oil and Gas Extraction; Public Safety; Services; Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities; and Wholesale and Retail Trade), labor unions, trade associations, and federal and jurisdictional government
Providing Access to Sanitation Stations During COVID-19
Populations of focus: People experiencing homelessness in southern Nevada, central Florida, and Puerto Rico
Purpose: To set up handwashing stations and portable toilets for people experiencing homelessness. Access to handwashing supplies and restrooms can be challenging for this population. Learn moreexternal icon
Partners: CDC Foundation and Clean the World Foundation
Equity in Adult Vaccination
Populations of focus: Racial and ethnic minority groups (African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, Hispanic/Latinx American, and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander adults)
Purpose: Build the evidence base of effective interventions for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in adult vaccination, as well as make an immediate impact on racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 and influenza vaccination rates, by funding national organizations to implement tailored education, outreach, and access strategies. Learn more
Partners: Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Association of American Indian Physicians, Association of Immunization Managers, CDC Foundation, Community Catalyst, Conference of National Black Churches, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Council of Negro Women, National Council of Urban Indian Health, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association, National Minority Quality Forum, National Urban League, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (and various Tribal Epidemiology Centers), UnidosUS, Urban Institute
Toolkit for People with Disabilities
Populations of focus: People with disabilities and care providers of people with disabilities
Purpose: Provide COVID-19 guidance and resources for people with disabilities and care providers. Learn more
Partners: FEMA, CDC Foundation, Georgia Tech Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, University of North Carolina Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, DeafLink, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services.
Project Spotlight:
CDC Foundation Southern Alliance
Populations of focus: African American and non-Hispanic Black people in Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi
Purpose: To enlist established organizations that reach communities with a high proportion of African American and non-Hispanic Black residents at higher risk for COVID-19 illness and death to adopt and sustain COVID-19 preventive and community mitigation strategies.
Partners: Albany State University (ASU), Jackson State University (JSU), Tulane University (TU), University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), and Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA)
Project website: https://www.cdcfoundation.org/programs/southern-alliance-addressing-covid-19-among-african-american-communitiesexternal icon
Description: CDC Foundation is focused on building the capacity of a “Southern Alliance” of five higher education partners united to increase community prevention of COVID-19 in different subgroups of African American and non-Hispanic Black people in the Southeast. The Alliance has addressed COVID-19 fatigue, misinformation, and lack of access to digital technology and health services by building community trust and key partnerships between the university community, local businesses, faith-based organizations, and other community groups.
Early impact:
- Promoting masking and other mitigation strategies through wide-reaching mass communication initiatives such as The Skin You’re Inexternal icon and Mask Upexternal icon. Mask Up resulted in almost 500,000 social media post engagements from December 2020 to February 2021.
- Conducting town halls and listening sessions to understand the changing concerns and needs of a community.
- Observing changes in community attitudes about vaccination, including community members in three Mississippi counties shifting from distrust to acceptance. These insights were used to secure additional funding to investigate attitude change in rural African American and non-Hispanic Black communities.
- Mobilizing trusted community messengers to assess miscommunication and mistrust in a community, disseminate culturally appropriate COVID-19 information, and solicit feedback about messaging.
- Training more than 200 community health workers in cultural humility, with content tailored for engaging African American and non-Hispanic Black communities in Louisiana.
- Training future public health professionals by engaging university students in needs assessments and program design.
- Leveraging partnerships with faith-based organizations to guide COVID-19 prevention programming in their communities.
More on Health Equity
- Equity in Adult Vaccination
- A Guide for Community Partners: Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities pdf icon[1.7 MB, 22 Pages]
- CDC COVID-19 Response Health Equity Strategy
- CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Equity for Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
- COVID-19 Vaccine Equity: Best Practices for Community and Faith-Based Organizations pdf icon[332 KB, 2 Pages]
- Expanding COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution to Primary Care Providers to Address Disparities in Immunization pdf icon[416 KB, 5 Pages]
- Guide for Awardees to Increase Vaccine Uptake pdf icon[688 KB, 14 Pages]
- Health Equity and Disparities
- Health Equity Considerations & Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
- Minority Health
- Racism and Health
- Social Determinants of Health
- Social Vulnerability Index
- What We Can Do to Promote Health Equity
Featured Webinars
- CDC COCA call: Telehealth & Health Equity: Considerations for Addressing Health Disparities during the COVID-19 Pandemic (September 15, 2020)
- COVID-19 Response: Promising Practices in Health Equity II (July 29, 2020)
- Motivate to Vaccinate: National Month of Action for COVID-19 Vaccines (July 8, 2021)
- Promising Practices in Health Equity (June 2, 2020)
Communications
- I Wear a Mask Because video (ASL versions available)
- Print Resources (Posters, guides, checklists)
- Public Service Announcements
- Resources for Community Health Workers, Community Health Representatives, and Promotores de la Salud
- Resources for Disproportionately Affected Communities
- Toolkits (including toolkits for older adults and people at higher risk, tribal communities, worker safety and support, shared and congregate housing, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, correctional and detention facilities, and more).
External Resources
- National CLAS Standardsexternal icon (HHS)
- We Can Do Thisexternal icon campaign (HHS)
- You Will See Meexternal icon campaign (Ad Council)