Cómo Estamos Ayudando

Tomás León, interim President of the Equality Health Foundation, was recently featured in the Arizona Horizons segment, Horizonte, hosted by José Cárdenas, to discuss the work that the OneCommunity Initiative, a collaboration between Equality Health Foundation and community partners, is doing to bring equity to the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that more white people have received the vaccination than people of color. In the segment, Tomás León explains how Equality Health Foundation is collaborating with Hispanic and African American communities and public and private partners including the state, the county, and local municipalities to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to underserved communities and populations that have been hit hardest by the pandemic.

“We’re committed to bringing the vaccine to the heart of these communities and breaking down barriers to getting access to the vaccine, and also building trust and confidence through education and information to address issues of mistrust,” León said. “The message is important but so is the messenger, which is why we’re reaching out in English and Spanish via social medial, virtual discussions, and outreach efforts led by diverse community members who are sharing their stories about why it’s important to get vaccinated.”

Once fully activated, the community-based, micro-pod model will reach 500,000 people to help reach community-wide immunity. Watch the video to learn more about the OneCommunity Initiative Against COVID-19. The interview begins at the 10:00 minute mark of the video.

For more information, visit www.equalityhealthfoundation.org/one

Published on Arizona PBS, April 6, 2021