The CDC announced Friday a pilot project intended on decreasing chronic diseases in high-risk communities. The government is putting $7 million toward the project to address five areas of social detriments.
Some groups—including racial and ethnic minorities, those living in poverty, and people in certain parts of the country—are disproportionately impacted by the burden of chronic conditions, the CDC said.
“Chronic diseases touch every American, in one way or another,” said Karen Hacker, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s NCCDPHP. “This important pilot project will help us better understand strategies to advance health equity and reduce the immense burden of chronic disease.”
The program will address five areas on concern, said the CDC:
- Built environment: human-made surroundings that influence overall community health and individual behaviors that drive health
- Community-clinical linkages: connections made among health care systems and services, public health agencies, and community-based organizations to improve population health
- Food insecurity: an economic and social condition characterized by limited or uncertain access to adequate and nutritious food
- Social connectedness: the degree to which individuals or groups of individuals have and perceive a desired number, quality, and diversity of relationships that create a sense of belonging and being cared for, valued, and supported
- Tobacco-free policy: population-based preventive measures to reduce tobacco use and tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.
The CDC said it will work with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Association of County and City Health Officials to identify community to join the pilot program.