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ASALH president, Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney, says that’s why one of his group’s main messages this year to African Americans is: get vaccinated.
“What we’re trying to do in our focus on health and wellness, is to get people to not have suspicions and do the things that are necessary to protect their health. The top of our list — take the vaccine.”
Dulaney believes there are many reasons behind this including long-standing injustices like the lack of accessible treatment and insurance. But the ASALH president is hopeful that spotlighting the importance of Black health will get more people in the community thinking about their physical wellness.
“It will inform the community and hopefully encourage African Americans to get regular checkups. The issue is, in many cases, African Americans don’t have the health insurance and the financial means to do all the things that we think should be done for our children and getting regular checkups. So that’s our focus.”
In honor of this year’s focus on wellness, here are a few ways to make this Black History Month a healthy one.
Be a donor
There is an urgent need for both blood and bone marrow donations, which could be lifesaving for people with sickle cell disease.
“In an effort to serve all of our patients, we want to see their chance of finding a match increase year over year. Seeing that 23% for Black and African American patients increase to 29% — that’s what it’s all about for us,” Kate McDermott of BeTheMatch says.
“In line with our commitment to serve our patients in providing equal outcomes for all, we are trying to remove every barrier to donation,” says McDermott. The foundation will cover all related expenses to make donations possible. For example, BeTheMatch will pay for a donor’s child care costs, lost wages, and travel.
“By 2023 we would like to double the number of lives saved in underserved populations — with no discernible difference in outcomes. So, patients who have undergone transplants are living a healthy life post-transplant with very little complications,” McDermott explains.
Mental Wellness
Mental health plays a large part in overall wellness, but Dulaney feels that this is another aspect of health disparity in the African American community.
“There’s been a stigma among some African Americans about getting mental health or getting help period in terms of mental conditions. As a result, African Americans are less likely to seek help, whether they’re depressed or having other issues.”
Here are some resources that focus specifically on mental wellness in the African American community:
A healthy future
Any day is a great day to start setting up for a healthier tomorrow. Whether in need of a doctor or a workout buddy, here are a few resources that can be helpful in setting up a healthier lifestyle.
“We are trying to encourage African Americans to be aware of the history of Black health and wellness and also see it in a more holistic perspective. Let’s look at the history of African American healthcare in this country and see what has been done in the past and, indeed, how we can in the present, prepare ourselves so that we won’t be the victims of pandemics such as this one.”
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