Over the past three years, racism has been declared a public health crisis in numerous communities across the United States. Milwaukee County was the first to declare it in 2019, with other governmental entities following suit, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Cuyahoga County. Often, governmental entities focus on addressing...
Author: Natasha Takyi-Micah
February 21, 2022
Traveling to Africa: Reclaiming our identity and expanding Black pride
What are the first images or words that come to your mind when someone says the word Africa? You may think of what you see in the media, like poverty, huts, jungles and animals. Some people would think that Africans live in trees, a stereotype that I have heard from Americans, which Africans joked that...
November 29, 2021
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition aims to eliminate menthol cigarettes in local communities
Local initiatives during Lung Cancer Awareness Month November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month when many organizations and individuals are encouraging the public to learn about this disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both women and men throughout the United...
October 25, 2021
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and how state and local current prevention efforts provide resources for families in poverty
October is known for many health awareness causes such as breast cancer and domestic violence, but lead poisoning is a public health issue that more people are noticing. Established in 1999 by the US Senate, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) occurs during the last week of October each year. A collaboration between the United...
September 16, 2021
Lessons learned from the National Maternal Health Innovation Symposium
Natasha Takyi-Micah has been accepted into the in Families USA’s 2021 Health Equity Academy, where she will be focusing on maternal and child health issues. The second annual National Maternal Health Innovation Symposium was hosted by the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center (MHLIC) August 30-31, 2021. This free symposium focused on understanding maternal health disparities,...
June 7, 2021
How the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition is making an impact in the community
The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition (LSCC) conducted its bimonthly convening meeting on May 7 to present the coalition’s progress now that the Lead Safe Ordinance is taking hold. The coalition is comprised of many community stakeholders such as landlords, contractors, pediatricians, parents and teachers. The coalition is moving away from initiating action after children are...
May 10, 2021
How midwives help outcomes for women and babies
The United States experiences unprecedentedly high rates of maternal deaths. In a study that compares the United States to 10 other developed countries, women in the United States had the highest ratio of maternal deaths. For example, there were 17.7 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in the United States compared to 1.7 maternal deaths...
February 22, 2021
The devaluation of oneself: Dealing with imposter syndrome in the Black community
During graduate school, I spent much of my time studying and working both on and off campus. I also participated in meetings hosted by student organizations as I studied public health. One of the meetings that struck me the most was about “imposter syndrome,” which was introduced by a Black-led student organization. That was the...
November 23, 2020
Virtual Budget Training Academy Series Reached Larger Audiences
During the first three weeks of November, the policy team at The Center for Community Solutions presented our virtual Budget Training Academy. The webinar series provided information about the upcoming Ohio state budget and how the public can get involved. The series kicked off on November 6, with a webinar titled Setting the Stage for...
October 28, 2020
Ohio’s COVID-19 vaccine plan
On October 6, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced its plans for the Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Program. Currently ODH has a working framework for the program in which health care experts, provider organizations, and local leaders will offer input and logistical planning. ODH officials are still working on certain sections of the framework such...
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