Advancing Social Justice and Health Equity in Preparedness by Engaging Racially and Ethnically Diverse Communities

In recognition of the pervasive health inequities and social injustices faced by racially and ethnically diverse communities, prior to, during and after Hurricane Katrina, the HHS Office of Minority Health supported the creation of a 34-member National Consensus Panel on Emergency Preparedness and Cultural Diversity to develop guidance on priorities and actions for integrating these populations in preparedness planning and response. The work of the Panel has yielded a national and cohesive blueprint for this objective, which includes a consensus statement, eight guiding principles and action steps for operationalizing them. Core and central to this guidance, is the engagement and involvement of communities to ensure plans and procedures are reflective of distinct community characteristics such as race, culture and language as well as broader social and economic needs. The Presenter will discuss the vision, efforts and specific guidance of the Panel in context of its importance and relevance to achieving health equity and social justice in public health preparedness.