Advocacy Letter
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Author Note
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Advocacy Letter
Dear Mr. Rubin Diaz Jr.,
My name is Mervis Henry and I am from Bronx, New York. I am writing to letter to tell you about the prevalence of Asthma in my community so that effective steps are taken from your side. I would like to suggest a policy that might contribute to alleviating the prevalence of Asthma in my community.
"It is a severe problem that continues to recur", Dr. Hal Strelnick stated, "and it would be worth any attempt to concentrate on it and find better and more practical solutions." 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The Bronx is the state's weakest constituency with some of the state's worst clinical outcomes. According to the U.S. Census, Ethnic minorities are over-represented in impoverished communities i.e. African Americans and Hispanics contribute to 43 percent and 54 percent of the community of the Bronx, respectively ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"bLqRNdhc","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(theejbm, 2015a)","plainCitation":"(theejbm, 2015a)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"70NiILNo/J7SvG94n","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/377LHPK9"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/377LHPK9"],"itemData":{"id":174,"type":"post-weblog","title":"Health Disparities and Environmental Justice in the Bronx","abstract":"by Danielle Pasquel The direct link between socioeconomic status and human health has been well established in the field of public health. Poor communities face an array of distinct economic and so…","URL":"https://theejbm.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/health-disparities-and-environmental-justice-in-the-bronx/","language":"en","author":[{"literal":"theejbm"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015",3,23]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",12,2]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (theejbm, 2015a). Several public safety and toxicological reports have recorded the impact of environmental conditions on local inhabitant’s wellbeing, including exposure to waste disposal facilities, air, and water pollution, high-quality food supply, and exposure to wide space areas ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"KZnBTChi","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(theejbm, 2015a)","plainCitation":"(theejbm, 2015a)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"70NiILNo/J7SvG94n","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/377LHPK9"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/377LHPK9"],"itemData":{"id":174,"type":"post-weblog","title":"Health Disparities and Environmental Justice in the Bronx","abstract":"by Danielle Pasquel The direct link between socioeconomic status and human health has been well established in the field of public health. Poor communities face an array of distinct economic and so…","URL":"https://theejbm.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/health-disparities-and-environmental-justice-in-the-bronx/","language":"en","author":[{"literal":"theejbm"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015",3,23]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",12,2]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (theejbm, 2015a). For decades, Asthma has been known as a gruesome and expanding outbreak, with asthma-related hospital admission and mortality rates outstripping the rest of the state systematically ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"BD1v1mJl","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Fighting Pediatric Asthma With a Personal Touch in the Bronx,\\uc0\\u8221{} 2019)","plainCitation":"(“Fighting Pediatric Asthma With a Personal Touch in the Bronx,” 2019)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"70NiILNo/d2zN1JIS","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/KNI3N4GZ"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/KNI3N4GZ"],"itemData":{"id":175,"type":"post-weblog","title":"Fighting Pediatric Asthma With a Personal Touch in the Bronx","container-title":"Norwood News","abstract":"The program aims to close racial health disparities by offering personalized services to children hospitalized or treated for asthma in the Bronx.","URL":"https://www.norwoodnews.org/id=29211&story=fighting-pediatric-asthma-with-a-personal-touch-in-the-bronx/","language":"en-US","issued":{"date-parts":[["2019",7,31]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",12,2]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Fighting Pediatric Asthma With a Personal Touch in the Bronx,” 2019). The Bronx had a maximum asthma mortality rate of 43.5 of 1 million in New York City between the years 2009 and 2011 as stated by the New York State Asthma Surveillance Summary Report ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Jt5qPXah","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(theejbm, 2015a)","plainCitation":"(theejbm, 2015a)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"70NiILNo/J7SvG94n","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/377LHPK9"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/377LHPK9"],"itemData":{"id":174,"type":"post-weblog","title":"Health Disparities and Environmental Justice in the Bronx","abstract":"by Danielle Pasquel The direct link between socioeconomic status and human health has been well established in the field of public health. Poor communities face an array of distinct economic and so…","URL":"https://theejbm.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/health-disparities-and-environmental-justice-in-the-bronx/","language":"en","author":[{"literal":"theejbm"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015",3,23]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",12,2]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (theejbm, 2015a). It contributes to six times that of a New York City. The gravity of a problem can be recognized from the fact that New York Senate has recently introduced a legislation and ordered the New York State Department of Health to examine and develop an intervention plan to tackle the shockingly high prevalence of asthma ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Wi85hnIr","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}State Senate Passes Bill to Study High Asthma Rates in The Bronx,\\uc0\\u8221{} n.d.)","plainCitation":"(“State Senate Passes Bill to Study High Asthma Rates in The Bronx,” n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"70NiILNo/u2PUBhGN","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/SGP93Y6D"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/SGP93Y6D"],"itemData":{"id":173,"type":"webpage","title":"State Senate Passes Bill to Study High Asthma Rates in The Bronx","container-title":"DNAinfo New York","abstract":"The bill now moves to the state Assembly, where its sponsor is Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda.","URL":"https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140618/mott-haven/state-senate-passes-bill-study-high-asthma-rates-bronx","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",12,2]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“State Senate Passes Bill to Study High Asthma Rates in The Bronx,” n.d.). I hope, all these facts are enough to make you comprehend the magnitude of this problem.
Strategy, implementation, and assessment of government-level asthma mitigation programs would increase the probability of sustained high-quality systematic management of asthma. Government health organizations are accountable for government citizen’s health and hence are key contributors in the prevention of asthma. I would like to suggest a policy here that will help mitigate the challenge of Asthma Prevalence. As already established, a high prevalence of asthma is related to the Bronx exposure to the various kinds of wastes, air and water pollution. The intervention plans in the Asthma mitigation Programs must focus on the removal of hazardous waste from the Bronx. Governmental high-quality surveillance programs should identify areas exposed to the risk of pollution mainly industrial areas. The best approach would be to involve state and private environmental agencies that are prone to encountering such challenges. The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) can assist in developing asthma initiatives via numerous practical opportunities, technical support and fund allocation to such organizations ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"dEC5zPwL","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Reducing the Rising Rates of Asthma,\\uc0\\u8221{} n.d.)","plainCitation":"(“Reducing the Rising Rates of Asthma,” n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"70NiILNo/M0BlVKq5","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/6K6AIZYS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/LGdpQbDd/items/6K6AIZYS"],"itemData":{"id":177,"type":"webpage","title":"Reducing the Rising Rates of Asthma","URL":"https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2014/07/14/11/30/reducing-the-rising-rates-of-asthma","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",12,2]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Reducing the Rising Rates of Asthma,” n.d.).
Secondly, as the racial disparities are prevailing in the Bronx, the prevalence of asthma is likely to be caused by that ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"1AzPBvXI","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(theejbm, 2015b)","plainCitation":"(theejbm, 2015b)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":506,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/CKNkWnK9/items/36CLLVR4"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/CKNkWnK9/items/36CLLVR4"],"itemData":{"id":506,"type":"post-weblog","abstract":"by Danielle Pasquel The direct link between socioeconomic status and human health has been well established in the field of public health. Poor communities face an array of distinct economic and so…","language":"en","title":"Health Disparities and Environmental Justice in the Bronx","URL":"https://theejbm.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/health-disparities-and-environmental-justice-in-the-bronx/","author":[{"literal":"theejbm"}],"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",12,11]]},"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015",3,23]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (theejbm, 2015b). The policy aiming at reducing racial disparities in t Bronx should be developed with the sole purpose of ensuring that children and adults in the community are provided with personalized services without any discrimination like the rest. The hospitalizations in the regular and in the emergency department should be independent of any extreme social groups or governmental organizations. The policy will also aim to coordinate the main services between community health worker stations and hospitals of the Bronx. The children or any individuals who are seen becoming a victim of such discrimination should be immediately identified and provided with the significant treatment programs. The policy will reduce the prevalence rate as more individuals will be hospitalized and provided with health care services without any discrimination.
Now that I have given effective solutions to a problem, I urge you to take operative steps to alleviate this health problem in my country. Your position demands you to bring all influential agencies on common ground to overcome this challenge by developing sound policies that not only focus on eliminating the risk of waste and air pollution but also keep surveillance on the effective areas to control the severity of a problem.
Thank you for giving you precious time. I hope my letter would be taken into consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Mervis Henry
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Fighting Pediatric Asthma With a Personal Touch in the Bronx. (2019, July 31). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from Norwood News website: https://www.norwoodnews.org/id=29211&story=fighting-pediatric-asthma-with-a-personal-touch-in-the-bronx/
Reducing the Rising Rates of Asthma. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2014/07/14/11/30/reducing-the-rising-rates-of-asthma
State Senate Passes Bill to Study High Asthma Rates in The Bronx. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from DNAinfo New York website: https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140618/mott-haven/state-senate-passes-bill-study-high-asthma-rates-bronx
theejbm. (2015a, March 23). Health Disparities and Environmental Justice in the Bronx. Retrieved December 2, 2019, from https://theejbm.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/health-disparities-and-environmental-justice-in-the-bronx/
theejbm. (2015b, March 23). Health Disparities and Environmental Justice in the Bronx. Retrieved December 11, 2019, from https://theejbm.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/health-disparities-and-environmental-justice-in-the-bronx/
