WASHINGTON, Sept. 15,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WANDA is one of over 100
community-based organizations selected to participate in the
Collaboration for Equitable Health, a transformative initiative
powered by Bank of America. This collaborative effort brings
together esteemed organizations such as the American Heart
Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes
Association, and the University of Michigan
School of Public Health.
The Collaboration for Equitable Health, backed by a substantial
$25 million investment over four
years, has a clear mission: to enhance health outcomes within
marginalized communities, including Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian
American, and Native American populations. The program is set to
launch in 11 cities across the United
States, including Albuquerque, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Memphis, Philadelphia, San
Antonio, St. Louis, and
Washington, D.C.
This initiative addresses leading causes of mortality in these
communities, which include heart disease, cancer, stroke, and
diabetes. Additionally, the program aims to tackle maternal health,
mental well-being, and nutrition.
Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, MA,
Founder and CEO of WANDA, stressed the urgency of the situation,
stating, "Diabetes is plaguing our D.C. communities, especially
Ward 5, 7, and 8, at an alarming rate. The first step to improve
health outcomes is to provide community resources and ensure that
members of these communities have adequate access to these
resources and care."
Led by an ADA lifestyle coach, the program launches on
Saturday, September 30th, at
4:30 pm until December at the Giant
Food's Congress Heights Wellness Center, located at 1535 Alabama
Avenue SE Washington, DC and with
a virtual option. The public can register for free at
bit.ly/projectpowerwanda.
The initiative will focus on key areas, including education and
capacity building for health systems, partners, and patients. It
will work towards enhancing access to health screenings and
preventive care while advocating for policies that ensure equitable
opportunities and resources through collaboration with state and
local leaders.
Franciel Ikeji, MS, RDN, WANDA's
Nutrition Advisor, expressed their commitment, saying, "As a vital
part of this community, we are honored to help members of our
community. The time is now for members of our community to educate
themselves and their families about diabetes, so that everyone is
equipped to live longer and healthier lives."
Community members will receive free training, educational
materials, and guidance to address diabetes. They will also have
access to health screenings and quality preventive healthcare and
treatment. Furthermore, they will be part of a collective effort
advocating for change to achieve health equity for all.
About WANDA
Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA) is a
leading nonprofit based in Washington,
D.C., founded in 2016. We empower women and girls of African
descent to become catalysts for change in their communities through
education, advocacy, and innovation. With recognition from Forbes,
Voice of America, and NPR, as well as advisory roles with
institutions like the Milken Institute Food as Medicine Advisory
Board, Tufts Food and Nutrition Innovation Council, African
Nutrition Society, and USDA NAREEE Advisory Board, WANDA is at the
forefront of reshaping the future of food, nutrition, and
agriculture. Learn more at http://iamwanda.org. Connect with us on
Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly known as
Twitter).
About the American Heart Association ®
The American Heart Association ® is a
relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We
are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all
communities. Through collaboration with numerous
organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund
innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share
lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a
leading source of health information for nearly a
century. Connect with us
on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling
1-800-AHA-USA1.
About the American Diabetes Association ®
The American Diabetes Association ® (ADA) is
the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend
the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with
diabetes thrive. For 82 years the ADA has driven discovery and
research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working
relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and
education we aim to improve the quality of life for over 133
million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has
brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for
Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at
diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the
fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish
Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American
Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram
(@AmDiabetesAssn).
About the American Cancer Society®
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting
organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for
everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives
of people with cancer and their families as the only organization
combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support.
We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to
prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more,
visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline
at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram.
About the University of Michigan School
of Public Health
The University of Michigan School of Public
Health has been promoting health and preventing disease
since 1941, and is consistently ranked among the top schools in the
country. More than 140 faculty and researchers and 1,200 students
in the school's 8 academic departments and programs and dozens of
collaborative centers and institutes are forging new solutions to
complex health challenges, including infectious and chronic
disease, health care quality and finance, climate change and
environmental factors, socioeconomic inequalities and their impact
on health, community-based health interventions, nutritional
impacts, and the globalization of health. We also offer myriad
opportunities for students to experience public health in the real
world through public health practice, internships, entrepreneurial
training, and more. Whether making new discoveries in the lab or
researching and educating in the field, our faculty, students, and
alumni are pursuing a healthier, more equitable world for all.
Learn more at publichealth.umich.edu or follow us on social media
at @umichsph. To learn more about the Collaboration for Equitable
Health visit www.collaborationforequitablehealth.org.
About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial
institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market
businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking,
investing, asset management and other financial and risk management
products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience
in the United States, serving
approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with
approximately 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000
ATM and award-winning digital banking with approximately 56 million
verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in
wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading
across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations,
governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of
America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million
small business households through a suite of innovative,
easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves
clients through operations across the
United States, its territories and approximately 35
countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is
listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
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SOURCE Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture