PR CONCRA to lead COVID-19 educational project
Community-based health and prevention services nonprofit PR CONCRA will connect communities in the municipalities of the metropolitan area with educational resources to address COVID-19 and mental health, as well as issues related to the prevention, myths, and impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as part of the educational project “PODER en SALUD,” Executive Director Carlos Cabrera-Bonet announced.
The municipalities of Carolina, Canóvanas, Guaynabo, San Juan, and Trujillo Alto will benefit as part of the initiative.
“Nearly two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, communities continue to face challenges including the mental health impact, job losses, resistance to vaccination, as well as misinformation,” said Cabrera-Bonet.
“The ‘Poder en Salud’ project is aligned with CONCRA’s programmatic and organizational vision of promoting public health, prevention and health education. With this project, we intend to empower communities by providing them with reliable information related to COVID-19 and its effects at different levels,” he said.
Now in its second year, “PODER en SALUD” is intended to increase the capacity of communities to respond adequately to COVID-19 by disseminating prevention messages and through other community-based mitigation strategies.
It is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through PROCEED Inc., and the National Center for Training, Support, and Technical Assistance (NCTSTA). PR CONCRA is one of two organizations in Puerto Rico participating in this project.
With the help of experts in health education, messages will be developed to cover specific topics that will address the needs of communities on issues such as COVID and mental health, among others, organizers said.
Despite the high levels of vaccination achieved on the Island, with over 90% of the population over 12 years of age having already received at least one dose of one of the COVID-19 vaccines, according to data from the Puerto Rico Department of Health, the challenges of vaccination continue, as well as the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on populations such as women, older adults, people with disabilities, and those whose income is below the poverty level.
In its inaugural year, PODER en SALUD formed a national coalition of twenty-one organizations across the United States, working collaboratively to reach Latino communities in the states of California, Florida, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Rhode Island, Illinois, New York, and Oregon.
In addition to PR CONCRA, other entities participating as primary partners of Power in Health include Migrant Health Center, Justice for Farmworkers, National Youth Leadership Council, Progreso Latino, Institute of Racial and Cultural Health (ARCH), Latino Commission on AIDS. Collectively, these organizations will reach Latin communities in Florida, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Oregon, California, Kansas, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
