WANDA joins the Collaboration on Equitable Health and receives funding to improve health outcomes in communities of color

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WANDA is one of over 100 community-based organizations selected to participate in the Collaboration for Equitable Health, a transformative initiative powered by Bank of America. This collaborative effort brings together esteemed organizations such as the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

The Collaboration for Equitable Health, backed by a substantial $25 million investment over four years, has a clear mission: to enhance health outcomes within marginalized communities, including Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, and Native American populations. The program is set to launch in 11 cities across the United States, including Albuquerque, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Memphis, Philadelphia, San Antonio, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

This initiative addresses leading causes of mortality in these communities, which include heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Additionally, the program aims to tackle maternal health, mental well-being, and nutrition.

Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, MA, Founder and CEO of WANDA, stressed the urgency of the situation, stating, "Diabetes is plaguing our D.C. communities, especially Ward 5, 7, and 8, at an alarming rate. The first step to improve health outcomes is to provide community resources and ensure that members of these communities have adequate access to these resources and care."

Led by an ADA lifestyle coach, the program launches on Saturday, September 30th, at 4:30 pm until December at the Giant Food's Congress Heights Wellness Center, located at 1535 Alabama Avenue SE Washington, DC and with a virtual option. The public can register for free at bit.ly/projectpowerwanda.

The initiative will focus on key areas, including education and capacity building for health systems, partners, and patients. It will work towards enhancing access to health screenings and preventive care while advocating for policies that ensure equitable opportunities and resources through collaboration with state and local leaders.

Franciel Ikeji, MS, RDN, WANDA's Nutrition Advisor, expressed their commitment, saying, "As a vital part of this community, we are honored to help members of our community. The time is now for members of our community to educate themselves and their families about diabetes, so that everyone is equipped to live longer and healthier lives."

Community members will receive free training, educational materials, and guidance to address diabetes. They will also have access to health screenings and quality preventive healthcare and treatment. Furthermore, they will be part of a collective effort advocating for change to achieve health equity for all.

About WANDA

Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA) is a leading nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., founded in 2016. We empower women and girls of African descent to become catalysts for change in their communities through education, advocacy, and innovation. With recognition from Forbes, Voice of America, and NPR, as well as advisory roles with institutions like the Milken Institute Food as Medicine Advisory Board, Tufts Food and Nutrition Innovation Council, African Nutrition Society, and USDA NAREEE Advisory Board, WANDA is at the forefront of reshaping the future of food, nutrition, and agriculture. Learn more at http://iamwanda.org. Connect with us on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).

About the American Heart Association ®

The American Heart Association ® is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.  

About the American Diabetes Association ®

The American Diabetes Association ® (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 82 years the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for over 133 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

About the American Cancer Society®

The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the University of Michigan School of Public Health

The University of Michigan School of Public Health has been promoting health and preventing disease since 1941, and is consistently ranked among the top schools in the country. More than 140 faculty and researchers and 1,200 students in the school's 8 academic departments and programs and dozens of collaborative centers and institutes are forging new solutions to complex health challenges, including infectious and chronic disease, health care quality and finance, climate change and environmental factors, socioeconomic inequalities and their impact on health, community-based health interventions, nutritional impacts, and the globalization of health. We also offer myriad opportunities for students to experience public health in the real world through public health practice, internships, entrepreneurial training, and more. Whether making new discoveries in the lab or researching and educating in the field, our faculty, students, and alumni are pursuing a healthier, more equitable world for all. Learn more at publichealth.umich.edu or follow us on social media at @umichsph. To learn more about the Collaboration for Equitable Health visit www.collaborationforequitablehealth.org.

About Bank of America 

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATM and award-winning digital banking with approximately 56 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

SOURCE Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture