Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116737

Shirley Baker, Community Against Pollution, 1521 Cobb Avenue, Anniston, AL 36201, 256.236.5229, sisterbake@aol.com

One of the key pillars in understanding public health issues from a community perspective is to build trust and increase community respect by including community participation in health initiatives from the beginning. The community of Anniston, Alabama has been exposed to several chemicals and toxics, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This presentation will look at the collaborative efforts of Community Against Pollution (CAP) who have worked with several university researchers and scientists, federal environmental and health agencies and other local advocacy groups to improve the public health and environmental clean-ups efforts in Anniston.

From the Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit to Jackson State University and Emory University, CAP has successfully garnered support in its efforts to conduct environmental sampling, health studies, develop of a health clinic and gain media attention. The community has worked to establish trust, gain credibility, and hold partners accountability while effectively collaborating on several environmental health studies. The health research and grassroots outreach organizing efforts of community members in Anniston through CAP are consistent with and supportive of the goals and objectives of Healthy People 2010 - to increase the quality and years of healthy life and to eliminate health disparities thus recognizing the needs of vulnerable populations such as lower income and minority individuals.

Learning Objectives:

• To describe an examples of the role of strong community leadership in collaborations with multiple universities, federal agencies and policymakers.
• To examine the strategies used by this community to maintain high scientific standards and ethics while establishing trust and accountability with partners.
• To explain the health assessment and studies conducted by various partners and the use of this data to support grassroots organizing and coalition work in Anniston.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.