Addressing Health Equity in Savannah

In an effort to champion health equity and preventive medicine, Healthy Savannah teamed up with the YMCA of Coastal Georgia on Saturday. They hosted a health advocate panel and training focused on immunizations, specifically the COVID-19, shingles, and flu vaccines. The goal of the program was to ensure the community has a clear understanding of the available vaccines and their importance, encouraging community members to get the necessary immunizations.

Educating the Community on Vaccine Availability and Importance

Leaders of the training emphasized the importance of reaching out with this information to underrepresented communities and those lacking access to resources. Community advocate with Healthy Savannah, Eva Alice, insists that vitally, community members need to get up-to-date on all available vaccines, and not be afraid to seek information or get vaccinated.

The training specifically highlighted updates on the COVID-19 and flu vaccines, along with reminding attendees about other crucial immunizations. “It’s so important for us to continue this work with our community health advocates, people from all walks of life who joined us in this effort to go out into the community, share information and address some of the concerns,” states Elsie Smalls, the operations manager for adult immunizations with Healthy Savannah.

How to Watch the Training

The health advocate training can be viewed on Healthy Savannah’s Facebook page. With this readily available resource, the reach of the training extends far beyond the attendees, ensuring that maximum community members get equipped with the significant information.

Funding from Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH)

The event was funded by a REACH grant. The federal funding arm, which stands for Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health, aims to help underserved populations achieve equitable access to healthcare services.