Advocacy on behalf of the population CWHA serves
is integral to the organization’s work. This component
is manifested in forums – from developing and disseminating
policy papers to testifying at public hearings. More and more
immigrants, poor and low-income individuals and families demonstrate
their development by learning about their rights and privileges
and navigating their lives wisely. However, a larger number
of people are not yet at that threshold of navigation. This
makes CWHA’s advocacy efforts more critical to ensure
that the rights of the population it serves are safeguarded
and their needs and concerns recognized and addressed. CWHA
has:
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Launched a number
of advocacy initiatives, including citizenship drives
and voter education and registration campaigns.
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Educated and
mobilized the immigrant community on the importance of
participating in Census 2000. In this regard CWHA held
a number of community forums to ensure that the community
is aware that non-participation in the Census would result
in a loss of benefits, resources and services, and to
inform them of job opportunities with the Census. Several
hundred individuals, including legislators, clergy and
other community leaders participated in these forums.
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WHA has undertaken a major research project
entitled “The Health Status Report of the Caribbean
American Community in New York City: Time to Eliminate the
Disparities”, which presents some pivotal health issues,
impacting the Caribbean-American Community. The findings reveal
that the prognosis of the health status in the Caribbean-American
Community in New York City is guarded. For example, in each
geographic area throughout New York City where there is a
large concentration of Caribbean Immigrants, (e.g., Central
Brooklyn), these areas also have some of the poorest health
status indicators in the State of New York. In these areas,
there are high rates of Asthma, HIV/AIDS and STD’s,
Infant Mortality and poor birth outcomes which are due largely
to a high incidence of late, inadequate or no prenatal care,
high rates of crime, poverty, and substance abuse. This alarming
situation is not only having a devastating impact on this
community, but also has serious implications for the city’s
health care delivery system. Accordingly, in the report CWHA
calls for the declaration of a state of emergency and Multi-Phase
Intervention Initiatives to Eliminate the Disparities. CWHA’s
strategy approach is designed to have long term impact in
improving access. This is anchored in conducting community
needs assessments, building partnerships, conducting a community
health education campaign and mobilizing community resources,
to address the problem. The modalities presented are intended
to serve as a guidepost for the formulation of public agenda
priorities and intervention strategies to respond to the disparities
and unmet needs.