by Lauren Liebhaber Canva A population’s health depends on and reflects the capacity of its health care system. The U.S. health care system is facing a shortage of doctors and nurses. As a result, almost 100 million Americans live in primary health care shortage areas where staffing doesn’t meet demand. A rapidly aging and ailing […]
Category: Health
Posted inHealth
Black women in the south at gravest risk from pregnancy
By Sarah Jane Tribble As maternal mortality skyrockets in the United States, a federal program created to improve rural maternity care has bypassed Black mothers, who are at the highest risk of complications and death related to pregnancy. The grant-funded initiative, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, began rolling out four years ago […]
Posted inHealth
In the birthing space: why Black men are needed now more than ever
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Arsalaan Allgood is a self-defined natural birth advocate. When he witnessed the treatment his mother received while giving birth to his siblings in the hospital, he noticed the lack of nurture and care. “I didn’t feel like she was treated with much dignity, and it wasn’t a […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. opioid crisis disproportionately affecting Black residents
By Aria Brent, AFRO News Writer, abrent@afro.com In the first six months of 2023, D.C. already leads the nation in the number of overdoses from overall drug use according to the Center for Disease Control. This year, health advocates called for Mayor Muriel Bowser to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency urging her […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Unhealthy air quality levels return to Northeastern region due to Canadian wildfires
By Aria Brent, AFRO Staff Writer, abrent@afro.com Residents in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area once again experienced unhealthy air quality on June 29 due to wildfires rage in Canada. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued an alarming air quality alert. “Northwest winds have pushed smoke from the Great Lakes region into […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day. Do you know your status?
By Special to the AFRO Washington D.C. will celebrate National HIV Testing Day on June 27, 2023. It is important for residents who may have been affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) areas get tested at their local testing site. HIV, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
National HIV Testing Day is June 27: what to know about HIV in 2023
by Mylika ScatliffeAFRO Women’s Health Writer June 27 is National HIV Testing Day (NHTD). The annual event has been organized since 1995 by the United States Department of Health and Human Service to encourage people to regularly test for HIV, know their status, and seek care and treatment. The 2023 theme for NHTD is “Take […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Mental Health America prioritizes youth at week-long conference
By Askya Alexander, Special to the AFRO The Mental Health America Conference hosted a weeklong event in Washington, D.C. from June 6 to June 10. The organization brought renowned experts, practitioners and advocates from across the country to address the pressing challenges surrounding mental health. This year’s theme happened to bring a particular emphasis on […]
Posted inHealth
Erectile dysfunction: a signal that heart trouble could be ahead
By Reginald Williams, Special to the AFRO For most men unable to obtain or sustain an erection, it can be embarrassing to even utter words—erectile dysfunction. Also known as “impotence,” erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex.” First, the facts: […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Black folks and swimming don’t always go together–now is the time to learn this lifesaving skill
By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO Recreational swimming in Baltimore has traditionally been a complicated subject: in the past there was a nominal fee per swim, pools opened late, there was nothing to sit on poolside and staffing for lifeguards was uncertain, all in the old days. Swimming is now free of […]
Posted inCommentary
Breaking barriers, saving lives: Black Family Cancer Awareness Week’s call to action
By Dr. Shanique Palmer “You have cancer.” These are three words that we all dread hearing. If you are a Black person, you are more likely to hear these words and are often less likely to survive the disease than people of other racial or ethnic backgrounds. To put this into perspective – consider that […]
Posted inNational News
Henrietta Lacks recommended for Congressional Gold Medal
By Catherine Pugh, Special to the AFRO Henrietta Lacks, born Loretta Pleasant in 1920 an African American woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951 has become the subject of books, speeches and a 2017 Movie, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and now a request from Congressman Kweisi Mfume(D-District 7-MD) to receive posthumously a […]
