Oral health is a crucial indicator of overall health. Most oral diseases and conditions share risk factors with the leading noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes). These risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diets high in free sugars, all traditionally seen at higher rates in BIPOC communities.

Social Determinants of Health are the social, economic, and environmental factors that impact health and contribute to health disparities. For Black Americans, several SDOHs disproportionately affect health outcomes. These include economic status, education access, healthcare access, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community contexts.

Poverty is a social determinant of health (SDOH) that can significantly impact the health and well-being of BIPOC communities. Poverty can lead to social and economic disadvantages that can hold BIPOC communities back and cause barriers to success. If you are living in poverty in Vermont and seeking support and resources, we encourage you to explore these resources.

Stay Up-To-Date On The Most Recent COVID-19 Vaccinations

This past October, VHEI’s Co-founder Weiwei Wang led a panel discussion at the Health Equity Summit hosted by The University of Vermont Medical Center.

This past October, VHEI’s Co-Founder and Program Director, Belan Antensaye, sat down with Dr. Marissa Coleman of The University of Vermont Medical Center to ask Coleman for her insights on the complexities of mental health within the BIPOC community.

Is The United States Facing A Potential ‘Tripledemic’?

Moderna and Pfizer both have new bivalent vaccines that target the original strain of coronavirus and omicron subvariants (including the highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5), which have been rapidly spreading throughout the world for the last few months.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is the new and revised program adopted from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. After contacting 9-8-8, trained crisis counselors will be available 24/7 through call, text, and chat to provide immediate support for those who are experiencing suicide, substance use, or any other mental health or emotionally distressing crisis.

The CDC is working towards equitably balancing resources for outbreak response in non-endemic countries with control in endemic countries (e.g., access and distribution of vaccines and therapeutics).

While most people who develop COVID-19 fully recover, some people develop a variety of mid- and long-term effects. People may also experience psychological effects as part of post COVID-19 condition.

The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970. Prior to the 2022 outbreak, monkeypox had been reported in people in several central and western African countries. Previously, almost all monkeypox cases in people outside of Africa were linked to international travel to countries where the disease commonly occurs or through imported animals. These cases occurred on multiple continents.

Bebe Moore Campbell was a pioneer in advocating for equitable mental health care, especially for Black and African-American communities. Through her best-selling books and powerful NPR commentations, she spoke on the harmful mental health stigma in black communities, and how that affected her experience as a Black woman in America.