Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • An Innovative Tool to Increase Vaccine Access? The Block Party

    August 05, 2021 |

    Vogue |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Lowell, Massachusetts

    The Greater Lowell Health Alliance offered COVID-19 vaccines using a “block party” model where community members enjoy free food, music, activities, and even childcare, while also having access to information about vaccines in multiple languages as well as the ability to actually get vaccinated. This model reduced barriers for immigrants, refugees, and other people who don’t speak English fluently, as well as caregivers who can’t attend vaccine appointments due to their caregiving responsibilities. The relaxed environment, where loved ones can support each other, increased comfort with getting the vaccine.

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  • Menstrual hygiene solutions: Kaduna girls take action

    August 01, 2021 |

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Nigeria, Kaduna

    Over 200 teenage girls in northwestern Nigeria have been trained to produce reusable sanitary napkins and tampons, which they can use for personal use and sell to make extra money. In fact, they have sold over 15,000 packs of reusable menstrual hygiene products worth 3.5 million naira, both improving the lives of users and becoming a viable livelihood for communities. The kits contain three cotton-based reusable products, each of which last three to six months. The project was supported as part of the United Nations’ COVID-19 response in Nigeria.

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  • How a gene machine boosts fight against TB in Kenya

    August 01, 2021 |

    Sayansi Magazine |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Kenya

    The GeneXpert machine is being used to diagnose tuberculosis earlier, and can identify strains that are receptive to common medications as opposed to drug-resistant strains. The machine tests samples by extracting and amplifying genes. Based on the bacterium load in a sample, it reports whether there are low or high amounts of TB detected and has the capacity to test four gene samples at the same time with a 90-minute period. Because of early and accurate detection, drug-resistant cases have reduced nationwide, saving people the trauma of prolonged and expensive treatments for drug-resistant strains.

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  • Faith-Based Vaccine Outreach Underway to Reach Northern Nevada Latinos

    July 30, 2021 |

    KUNR |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Reno, Nevada

    To increase vaccination rates among Reno’s Latino/a population, organizers conducted outreach with congregants at a local church that offers Spanish-language masses. Confidence in clinic locations and feeling safe due to immigration status presented as the biggest obstacles keeping people from getting vaccinated, so organizers used the church to hold pop-up clinics. The initial outreach helped build trust and gave organizers a chance to provide information and answer questions. Hundreds turned out for each clinic and the vaccination rate among the surrounding Latino/a community increased from 22% to 41%.

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  • ‘Better' podcast shines light on solutions

    July 29, 2021 |

    Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: Taiwan

    Taiwan responded to COVID-19 quickly, which helped keep cases low and avoid widespread shutdowns. The country had closely tracked its PPE stockpiles since the 2003 SARS outbreak, has a national health command center to coordinate responses, and uses a well-defined set of procedures to track and manage people under infectious risk or quarantine. Masks are required and provided to every citizen, inbound travelers were quickly regulated, and contact tracing and testing is widely used to prevent outbreaks. Citizens generally listen to authorities, though fines and other sanctions also encourage compliance.

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  • Door-to-door vaccine outreach finds success in Lafayette's Latino community

    July 26, 2021 |

    The Current (Louisiana) |

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    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Acadiana, Louisiana

    Members of Asociación Cultural Latino-Acadiana and the Rotary Club of Lafayette North went door-to-door in neighborhoods that are home to Spanish-speaking households to find people eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. After compiling a list of unvaccinated residents who wanted the shot, they coordinated with the Department of Health to organize three vaccine events. The events were held within the communities, which eased transportation burdens and the inability to take time off of work. The presence of interpreters also helped ease residents’ concerns of being able to communicate with the medical providers.

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  • A 'Zoom boom' boosted civic engagement across Kansas. But will it continue?

    July 20, 2021 |

    The Kansas Leadership Center Journal (KLC Journal) |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Kansas

    When courthouses and in-person government meetings shut down because of COVID-19, officials satisfied Kansas’ open meeting mandate by using pandemic relief aid to equip buildings with the technology needed to live stream proceedings and allow constituents to comment remotely. Crowds watching on platforms like Facebook Live were substantially higher than in-person attendance had ever been. Several cities linked agendas online and found creative ways to include public comments in meetings. Advocates are looking to maintain the public’s increased civic engagement as courts and government offices are reopening.

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  • In Assam, ATMs purify arsenic-laced water

    July 19, 2021 |

    The Third Pole |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: India, Barigaon, Assam

    A water management committee manages Barigaon’s water ATM, which uses a nanotechnology-based ion exchange resin to remove iron and arsenic from groundwater. Residents, who swipe a pre-paid card to collect water in their own containers, pay 40 cents per 20 liters or a flat monthly fee of less than $3. Water is free for families who can’t afford the fee and delivery is arranged for those who are unable to transport water. Around 250 villagers use the ATM each day and its success inspired five additional ATMs, with plans to install 172 statewide. Fees cover maintenance and the landowner’s electricity costs.

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  • Hey Siri, Learn to Speak Kinyarwanda

    July 13, 2021 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

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    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Rwanda

    Common Voice is an open-source initiative to capture more languages for voice-recognition software. Users “donate” their voices by recording themselves reading text out loud. They can also validate the accuracy of already donated voices. The platform has over 9,000 hours of voice data for 90 languages contributed by more than 166,000 people. The group runs creative campaigns to encourage native speakers to contribute, like “Digital Umuganda” in Rwanda, which is a play on a national holiday when people engage in community service. The campaign gathered over 1,700 hours of Kinyarwanda language from 840 people.

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  • Colorado screening newborn babies for spinal muscular atrophy

    July 12, 2021 |

    The Colorado Sun |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Colorado

    A joint project between Wyoming and Colorado screens newborns for spinal muscular atrophy, allowing them to receive gene therapies to prevent the deadly disease’s progression. Once researchers identified a protein missing from the cells of people with the disease, they developed treatments that are most effective the earlier they are started. The tests have significantly increased the number of cases identified across the two states, all of which are sent to Children’s Hospital Colorado for immediate treatment. Most babies are diagnosed within four days of birth and can start treatment soon after that.

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