Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) has released “Black Women’s Vote: A 2024 Health Policy Voter’s Guide” – a resource for Black women understand the rules and issues in response to the press release, which negatively impact their health.

As the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the well-being of Black women and girls, BWHI has addressed emerging concerns through policy research, modern programs and activities that promote health and well-being. The 2024 Health Policy Voter’s Guide outlines “Five Pillars” to advance Black women’s health – access to high-quality and reasonably priced health care, family and child health first, equitable governance and relationships, employment, educational equity and equity and access to technology and artificial intelligence.

The Voter Guide also provides users with an in depth overview of the specific seats and roles up for election in the presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial elections. The organization has included an in depth checklist for users to judge the candidates in their region to see where each ranks on each pillar, and a listing of elections organized by state. Since the last presidential election in 2020, greater than 400 bills have been introduced in nearly every state restricting voting access and targeting communities of color.

As a result, rights to protective health care, voting and other rights are in danger, in addition to restrictions on access to abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF) services and maternal care. These restrictive efforts have disproportionately harmed Black women and exacerbated the worsening of existing health disparities. “For many Black women, 2024 has been a year of significant challenges and impacts on our health and livelihoods. The challenges we face as a community – especially recent attacks on reproductive freedoms – underscore the need for transformational leadership,” said Linda Goler Blount, president of BWHI.

“Let me be clear: Black women and the power of our voices have at all times played a central role in keeping U.S. democracy intact. This yr we must vote as if our lives relied on it. Because it’s true.

Founded in 1983, the organization is a crucial leader in creating secure spaces to debate issues affecting Black women of all generations. In July 2024, they collaborated with actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and writer Tabitha Brown to supply a documentary called “My Period”.highlighting intergenerational conversations about puberty, menstruation and health exploration.

Blount described the film seeing her commitment to health equity advocacy got here to life and, as executive producer, is happy to advertise the importance of understanding the diverse and unique health experiences of Black women.

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The pandemic – the global spread of infectious diseases – appears to be making a comeback. In the Middle Ages we had the Black Death (plague) and after World War I, the Spanish flu. Tens of tens of millions of individuals he died of those diseases.

Then the science began working gain the advantageand vaccination almost completely eliminated smallpox and polio. Antibiotics have change into available to treat bacterial infections, and more recently, antiviral drugs have also change into available.

But lately and many years, pandemics they appear to be coming back. In the Nineteen Eighties we had HIV/AIDS, then several flu pandemics, SARS, and now Covid (no, it’s not over yet).

So why is that this happening and is there anything we can do to prevent future pandemics?

Unsustainable ecosystems

Healthy, stable ecosystems provide services that keep us healthy, resembling providing food and clean water, producing oxygen, and providing green spaces for our residents. relaxation and well-being.

Another key service provided by ecosystems is disease regulation. When nature is in balance – predators control herbivore populations and herbivores control plant growth – it is more difficult for pathogens to emerge in a way that causes pandemics.

But when human activity disrupt and disturb the balance of ecosystems – for instance as a results of climate change and biodiversity loss – things are going fallacious.

For example, climate change affects the number and distribution of plants and animals. As the planet warms, disease-carrying mosquitoes may migrate from the tropics to once temperate climates and should infect more people during months that are typically disease-free.

We investigated the relationship between weather and dengue transmission in China our findings confirm the same conclusion he reached many other studies: Climate change is probably going to put more people prone to dengue.

Biodiversity loss can have similar effects by disrupting food chains. When farmers cut down forests South America to graze cattle in the first half of the twentieth century, tiny, forest-dwelling, blood-eating vampire bats suddenly had a smörgåsbord of huge, sessile animals to feed on.

While vampire bats were previously kept in check by limited food availability and the presence of predators in the balance forest ecosystemthe species’ numbers have exploded in South America.

These bats carry the rabies virus that causes rabies fatal brain infections in bitten people. Although deaths from bat-borne rabies have now fallen dramatically as a results of vaccination programs in South America, rabies from bites from other animals still stays. poses a global threat.

As urban and agricultural development impact natural ecosystems, there’s an increasing risk of humans and pets becoming infected with pathogens that may normally only be present in wild animals, especially when humans hunt and eat wild animals.

HIV virus e.g. first entered the human population from apes that were killed in Africa for food after which spread around the world through travel and trade.

Meanwhile, it is believed that bats original tank for the virus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed over 7 million people up to now.

Ultimately, until we effectively address the unsustainable impact we have on our planet, pandemics will proceed to occur.

Targeting the ultimate causes

Factors resembling climate change, biodiversity loss and other global challenges are the ultimate (high-ranking) explanation for the pandemic. Meanwhile, the direct (immediate) cause is increased contact between people, pets and wildlife.

In the case of HIV, although the direct cause was direct contact with infected monkey blood, the monkeys were only killed because large numbers of very poor people were hungry – which was the ultimate cause.

The distinction between ultimate causes and proximate causes is vital because we often only deal with proximate causes. For example, people may smoke due to stress or social pressure (the ultimate explanation for lung cancer), but it is the toxins in the smoke that cause the cancer (the proximate cause).

Generally speaking, the health service is anxious only with stopping people from smoking and treating the diseases that result from it, not with removing drivers who encourage people to smoke.

We respond to pandemics similarly, with lockdowns, mask-wearing, social distancing and vaccinations – all measures to stop the spread of the virus. However, we have paid less attention to addressing the ultimate causes of the pandemic – perhaps until recently.

A planetary approach to health

There is growing awareness of the importance of adopting a “health of the planet” approach to improving human health. This concept relies on the understanding that human health and human civilization depend on the flourishing of natural systems and on the clever management of those systems.

With this approach, key drivers resembling climate change and biodiversity loss shall be prioritized in stopping future pandemics, while working with experts from a wide selection of fields to address the immediate causes, thereby reducing overall risk.

A planetary health approach has the advantage of concurrently improving environmental health and human health. We are encouraged by the increased use of teaching planetary health concepts in the environmental sciences, humanities and health sciences at many universities.

As climate change, biodiversity loss, population displacement, travel and trade proceed to increase the risk of disease outbreaks, it is critical that future planetary stewards higher understand how to address the ultimate causes that cause pandemics.

With a couple of month until Election Day, the Harris-Walz campaign is ramping up its grassroots efforts by organizing homecoming tours of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Homecoming season is one of the necessary times for HBCUs, celebrating the wealthy culture, history and sense of community they’ve built over generations. The campaign’s decision to launch at this significant time is meant to connect with Black voters in key battleground states corresponding to North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Not only are these states crucial to the upcoming election, but also they are home to a few of the most famous HBCUs in the country. According to the campaign, we are going to send surrogates, including Black elected officials, national leaders and celebrities from each the HBCU and hip-hop communities, to engage directly with students and alumni.

The tour begins today, September 28, at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) as the varsity celebrates its 132nd Founders’ Day. The campaign will include a tailgate on the WSSU vs. football game. Bowie State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Other stops on the tour include Lincoln University and Virginia State University on October 12, followed by stops at Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University and Clark Atlanta University on October 19, and ending at Morehouse and Spelman College on October 26.

“Howard University helped shape everything I am today, and historically Black colleges and universities prepare the next generation of leaders” – Harris, a proud graduate of the university, recently published on X (formerly Twitter).

HBCUs have long held a special place in American education. Founded to serve black students once excluded from mainstream institutions, it has been on the forefront of educational excellence, cultural expression and political engagement for over 150 years. Homecoming at these institutions is greater than just a college tradition—it’s a celebration of Black pride and progress that brings together alumni, students, and the encompassing community.

These institutions have all the time been centers of political engagement, making this tour a natural and effective way to reach and energize a key voting base. The Harris-Walz campaign builds on its recent momentum and engagement with the HBCU community. Last week, the campaign celebrated National HBCU Week, National Voter Registration Day and National Black Voter Day by hosting in-person and virtual canvassing events at 60 HBCU campuses.

“Vice President Harris has been very clear: she is not taking a single voter for granted, Black voters are not in our back pocket and we have to put in the work to earn their votes,” said Christale Spain, newly appointed National Commission on Black Affairs Director .Harris-Walz campaign’s involvement in an announcement to ESSENCE. “That’s exactly what we’re doing as we launch an HBCU tour of battleground states.”

Spain emphasized that “As president, Kamala Harris will chart a brand new path forward that features creating a chance economy that gives our community with real economic tools, not to mention her leadership as vp that resulted in student loan debt forgiveness for thousands and thousands of individuals, working directly to close the racial wealth gap and create thousands and thousands of recent jobs for black staff. Vice President Harris is the one candidate in this election who has made real progress for Black America – and she or he is just getting began.”

While last visit In an interview with the Atlanta University Consortium (AUC), Governor Tim Walz highlighted HBCUs’ legacy of political engagement and advocacy, recalling the Atlanta Student Movement’s fight for voting rights and racial equality. He also warned of ongoing voter suppression efforts, especially in the state of Georgia.

Additionally, the Harris-Walz ticket was endorsed by over 50 HBCU Football Legendsincluding Hall of Fame inductees and Super Bowl MVPs corresponding to Doug Williams – the primary black quarterback to start, win and be named Super Bowl MVP. Joining legends corresponding to Southern University’s Mel Blount and Maryland Eastern Shore’s Emerson Boozer, these athletes praised Harris’ commitment to justice and equality, expressing confidence that as president she is going to prioritize the well-being of all Americans.

Given the long-standing role of HBCUs in supporting political activism and social solidarity, the Harris-Walz campaign initiative could prove crucial in mobilizing voter turnout. As campaign efforts proceed, the impact of those efforts can be closely watched in the run-up to the November election.