Photo Credit: Mobile Care Chicago
By: Bridget Therriault, Head of Internal Communications,
US & Executive Director, AstraZeneca Foundation
One of the most fundamental ways we can advance a healthy society is by focusing on eliminating disparities in care. As a natural extension of our company values to follow the science and put patients first. AstraZeneca US continues to meet a long-term commitment to identify and invest in solutions to advance health equity in partnership with local communities.
After a tremendous response in 2022, we are excited to bring back for a third year the ACT on Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge. This annual funding opportunity supports US nonprofit organizations that are advancing health equity at a local and regional level through community-based programming that aims to improve conditions that affect community health and wellbeing or increase access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. Organizations can apply on AstraZeneca’s US website from June 15 through July 7, 2023 for a one-year contribution of $25,000. This year, a total of $1 million will be distributed to organizations across the US.
In 2022, we provided $1 million to 38 local nonprofit programs working to address health inequities among underserved US communities. These programs are implementing solutions that eliminate barriers to care and social determinants of health including social, emotional, and academic support, training for healthcare professionals, disease education, services combating barriers such as transportation and food insecurity and STEM career and leadership skills training.
2022 Community Solutions Challenge Spotlight
Nueva Vida, Inc., a 2022 award recipient, is addressing the lack of access to culturally sensitive cancer support services for the medically underserved Latino population in the greater Baltimore, Maryland jurisdiction. Their project is working to increase community knowledge on cancer prevention and early detection of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer, helping people live a healthier lifestyle and decrease certain cancer risk factors (e.g., tobacco cessation), promoting cancer screening tests and increasing access to cancer care.
“Nueva Vida is uniquely situated to provide culturally competent educational outreach, trained bilingual/bicultural outreach workers who work and live in the community and resources to ensure timely delivery of abnormal screening results and psychosocial support. Our high-touch interventions are proven to reduce the barriers and challenges Latinos face in navigating the fragmented health care system,” said Laura A. Logie, PhD, Director of Research.
Photo Credit: Nueva Vida, Inc.
Healthy NewsWorks delivers programs in under-resourced schools that improve literacy and health knowledge by transforming K-8 students into journalists who work in teams to research, write and produce articles and digital materials focusing on health issues that matter to them and their communities. The ACT on Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge contribution has helped fund their new environmental health initiative, including the launch of a student-produced magazine, during the 2022-2023 school year and provided at least 1,400 students with STEM knowledge and literacy skills.
Photo Credit: Healthy NewsWorks
“Healthy NewsWorks knows that children in under-resourced schools have less exposure to a variety of professions, and our interviews open their eyes to new possibilities,” said Mia Bernstein, Program Manager. “We empower young students by lifting the curtain on media literacy skills, encouraging curiosity, and creating authentic literacy experiences. Opportunities to address real-life issues through solutions-based journalism means students are researching topics that matter to them. Ultimately, they learn the facts about their own health, and the world around them gives them the context and the confidence to become leaders for positive change in their communities.”
Through the ACT on Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge, AstraZeneca is proud to work with local partners nationwide to accelerate change and advance health equity for historically excluded and disenfranchised populations. We look forward to expanding our support and making a positive impact on people’s health and the communities in which they live.
For more information and to access the online application, visit bit.ly/ACT-challenge. Applications will be accepted June 15 through July 7, 2023, at 11:59pm ET.
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