(Hartford, Conn. WTIC)-Saying Covid 19 has disproportionately affected Black and Latino communities, Governor Lamont announced the state is partnering with Hartford-based Equity Solutions for outreach about the Covid 19 vaccine and to dispel myths about it.
lamont says the non-profit has developed a plan to reach more than ten-thousand residents of color over a three-month period. the organization will target Faith and Education-based networks.
“This partnership is paramount to our broader efforts to ensure that we reach every single person we can, particularly in our communities of color,” Governor Lamont said. “The team at Health Equity Solutions and their community partnerships have a track record of proven success, and we’re excited to work with them during this unprecedented time to bring information to those who need it most.”
“COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted underserved communities, particularly the Black and Latino communities in Connecticut,” Acting Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said. “We want to ensure that communities at highest risk have equitable access to the vaccines that will protect them and allow everyone to return to a sense of normalcy. The team at Health Equity Solutions will strengthen and enhance our outreach efforts in the Black and Latino communities.”
“It was incredibly important to me that Health Equity Solutions not only identify the challenges to health equity but that we become a part of the solution,” Dr. Tekisha Dwan Everette, executive director of Health Equity Solutions, said. “We wish there was not a pandemic at all, but we are ready, willing, and able to make sure that people have accurate information to make a timely decision that is best for themselves and their family.”
“Our communities have been underserved and sometimes abused by the health system in this country,” Reverend Dr. Boise Kimber, President of the Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention, said. “Houses of faith are citadels of trust in Black communities. It makes sense for us to step up and help our communities understand the vaccine, and to learn to trust the health care system.”
