Black, African, Atlantic and Indian Ocean Islander Immigrant in USA; From a Public Health, Immigration and HIV Perspective

You are Black, African, Atlantic and Indian Ocean Islander and you live in USA. You are interested in aligning your life to that of your community. You also want to be able to access health care services but somehow you feel constrained. This short resource is for you.  It combines a Public Health and HIV Perspective. The project name is Black, African, Atlantic/Indian Ocean Islander Immigrant Resource (BLAIR) 

Contact Tom on:

1. +1415-299-0297 (anonymous counseling) 

2. +1415-707-9564 (anonymous counseling)

3. E-mail: bayheal@gmail.com

You need to know which foods to take daily, you need to engage in physical activity that improves on your muscle tone as well as burn calories, you need to have a health facility at which you go for medical check ups at least 4 times a year.

You need to be vigilant as far as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) go. Most especially, know your HIV status. Understand HIV non-disclosure and grounds for sexual assault and how it applies in the US.

Utilize the opportunity that health services in USA offer. You have the opportunity to demand for and access affordable, appropriate and non discriminatory social-medical services. You should have no fear. You will be treated with compassion, courteously, respectfully with a positive regard. You have before you freedom affirming spaces. Yes, freedom from all forms of physical, mental and emotional violence.

Your race, socio-economical status, origins, citizenship status and physical health should be the reason (not a hindrance) for you to contribute to the US identity.

We work towards enabling Black, African, Atlantic and Indian Ocean Islanders to engage in:

1. Community activities ranging from: Physical activity promotion; nutrition improvement skills promotion; community clean up campaigns;applying for low-cost housing or housing facilities; and engaging in healthy practices to promote healthy environments for all.

2. Understanding or engage in constant searching for community-driven activities that exist to promote effective education and outreach materials, with a particular focus on high-risk populations, to increase public awareness of issues at hand such as: need to be vigilant about STIs, understand the punitive environment around transmission of infections in USA, how to handle residential hazards and highlight effective actions households can take to reduce the risk for illness and injury.

3. Encourage persons who identify as Black, African, Atlantic and Indian Ocean Islanders to work with other residents to broaden the scope of single-issue public health and safety programs—such as health coverage,  nutrition needs, physical activity needs, childhood lead poisoning prevention, residential asthma intervention, injury prevention—to adopt a holistic approach addressing multiple social services deficiencies that affect health and safety. 

We shall provide information about social services targeting Black, African, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean Islanders. These services range from prevention technologies; information on health strategies as provided by CDC, Office of Health and Human Services to name but a few; comprehensive sexual health education; building community peer leadership; developing and using culturally appropriate information and skills exchange services; engage communities in emerging dignity affirming themes such as: tolerance, sexuality, identity, gender, orientation, power play/role sharing, inclusivity, affirmation, tobacco use cessation, conduct before police/peace officers, disproportionality in health care, criminalization around transmission and duties of a person in USA to name but a few.

We understand that Africa has a unique immigrant picture it can offer to USA. We are also aware of impact of race and how it comes into play as far as categorizing the character of the people who come from Africa goes. People who come from Africa who are candid will tell you about different experiences in reception here in the USA. There is a "system" that is systemically perceived to promote privilege for some and a punitive attribution for others.  We are offering to use public health as the level playing field arbiter. 

All pictures below are sourced from Google Images. We hope they help show you a true character of Africans. Perhaps it will help you understand the dynamics behind why some find it is easy to acculturate in USA without so much trouble and for others it is an uphill task and almost futile. We hope this is in turn will help you provide appropriate public health interventions or at least advocate on behalf of those who are failing to pursue a fuller life, liberty and happiness in USA. Enjoy and learn:

Africa has black, white, brown and yellow people.

A black man in Africa

lgbt society in Africa

White people of Africa

Islands and nations next to Atlantic Ocean

Islands and nations next to Indian Ocean

Central Africa

A young person from Africa

Children

Smiling face

Jewish Africans

Jewish Africans

This is the Africa one needs to know of

Southern Africa is part of Africa

Indian Africans

North Africa

North Africa

The people from Africa

The people from Africa

Central Africa

The people from Africa

Father and Child

A public health opportunity we should not miss

Yes, all of them are African

Indeed, all of them are Africans

Working women

African leaders

Africa and Cinema

Happy June 3rd Friday! Did you have that Friday Cookie or Popcorn? Check out Immigrant Job Placement Opportunities

Bay Area Healthy Living Support and Communication Platform-BayHeal continues to present to you tools that support and enhance your stay in USA.

Upwardly Global is an organization whose resources are available to asylum seekers and asylees, in addition to other immigrants.

Upwardly Global provides job search case management, training, and employment placement at some of the best companies in the United States.  To qualify for their free services (offered everywhere in the US), applicants must first meet the following criteria:

Have an affirmative case in good standing
Already have legal representation
Have BA (baccalaureate or 'undergrad') degree from any university or college in any country
Have at least two years of professional work experience in your home country
Have NO profession work experience in your professional field in the United States
Have a proficient level of English (for the telephone screening)
Have EAD/work authorization (OR at least intent to apply for EAD, but you will not get placed in employment until your EAD in place)
Have lived in the United States for a maximum of five years
Be highly motivated and able to participate in online or in-person training programs
For inquiries, send Upwardly Global an email at: outreach@upglo.org
To apply online visit their website: www.upglo.org/apply



Thank you, and have a great June 3rd Friday!

High Sodium intake and Chain Smoking among Black Persons and African Americans; Doing something about it

Salt Conscience-Tip. Source: NuteSalt.com

All these foods contain salt already. Do you need to add more? Think about it. Source; Google Images

Watch your Sodium intake Black Sister/Black Brother. Source: By Osagie K. Obasogie

Black Brother/Black Sister what is cool about smoking really? Source: Google Images

Smoking, African-Americans, Sodium consumption, Black Persons........... Are you ready to hear this?

In the US, tobacco use is the number one killer of African-Americans (or black persons). Each year, there are 47,300 tobacco related deaths among African-Americans.

There are things we can do to help stem the tide:

1. Turn all the researched literature on smoking among Black People/African Americas into action against smoking. There are examples of resources such as:

https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0006.pdf.

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/facts_issues/fact_sheets/toll/populations/african_americans/.

2. Make known the dangers of smoking among African Americans and Black Persons. Use such tools like:

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/groups/african-american.html.

3. Initiate and establish no smoke campaigns in communities where African Americans/Black Persons reside. Tobacco use, is related to heart disease, cancer, and stroke. These are the three leading causes of premature death among African Americans and Black persons in USA.

http://www.no-smoke.org/learnmore.php?id=465.

4. Do make statistics your friend and use them to promote information which in turn helps influence the decisions to cease or quit smoking.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/1998/highlights/african_americans/.

5. Talk or write about dangers of smoking.

6. As if that is not enough, sodium consumption and high blood pressure are risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Again, we need to turn all the researched literature on sodium-intake among Black People/African Americas into action reducing sodium consumption. There are examples of resources such as:

http://www.hhs.gov/blog/2016/06/01/reducing-sodium-food-supply.html.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2011/04/black_salt.html.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/407741_3.

http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-to-eliminate-cardiovascular-health-disparities/research/pdfs/vollmer.effectsofdietsodium.2001.pdf.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1355785042000285375.

Surgeon General Warning. Source: Google Images

You are doing right brother. Source: Google Images

Anti-Smoking Messages

Sister that ain't cool.

Watch the salt. Source: Google Images

Watch the salt that goes into the bacon. Source: Google Images

Salt. Source: Google Images

Take stock of your salt intake

Notice.

Your Fire-related Survival Skills

As you go on with your life, daily activities, you do find yourself in close vicinity with signage. Some of which is given a cursory look. Or you may not notice at all that what is written may affect you. I was on a bus going downtown and remembered a previous conversation I had with three ladies from Africa who were at different levels of adjusting their visas of stay in the US. How many have read a notice like this in a public transport vehicle?

"Information gladly given but safety requires avoiding unnecessary conversation ."

There are many small notices or cues that our aural or visual senses come across and may or may not pick up immediately. We are visited with precaution notices almost every now and then. It is a good household skill to check for lights, unlocked doors, gas valves, unlocked windows and unplugging unused appliances. This helps avoid accidents of fire or wastage of energy and heat at the domestic level. Am sure you agree, many may treat what am blogging about as something below relevancy. Or many may take this as common sense. You will be amazed at what the Fire Department can tell you about the most likely causes of say, fires in our homes! That food left on the stoves for hours on end without being watched is the cause of burning and fires! That cigarette end that has been tossed away without first extinguishing it fully! The list goes on. Also, not reading notices as well can be a cause for fires or lead to more damages after a fire.

It is good to be familiar with fire-related skills, knowledge and practices now that you are part of the community.

1. You should be familiar with emergency safety zones of your apartment building, office, school, home or building in which you enter or live. One way to find out is to read the emergency evacuation plan. See example in Figure 1.

2. You should be familiar with the evacuation procedures in case of emergencies (fires, earthquakes, floods, tornado, typhoons..). You should be aware that physical status also influences how easily one can get out of an emergency situation. In case of fire emergency use stairs. A signage giving such directions is given in figure 2.

3. You should know the exits dedicated for emergency situations. The "exit" signs are printed next to such egresses. See figure 3. 

4. A hand-held is a very common tool that many have in their cars or homes or in the lobbies to their buildings. Familiarise yourself with the operation of such a tool. Remember also, you need to know which kinds of fires can be extinguished using handheld fire extinguishers.  See figure 4, 5, 6 and 7 for more details.

5. There are 4 categories of fires: A, B, C and D.

Class A fires are common combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth, rubber and different plastics.

Class B fire hazards are flammable liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, gases, solvents, grease, oil.

Class C fire hazards are those involving live electrical equipment. Motors, appliances, energized electrical machinery, phones, video-game equipments and computers are some of the examples we come across commonly. To extinguish these, one needs non-conductive extinguisher agents.

Class D fire hazards are those involving combustible metals such as magnesium, Titanium, Zirconium and Sodium. 

6. After a fire, in buildings with automatic water sprinklers one expects wet floors. It is important that warning cones are placed in all areas to warn people. Falls follow slippery surfaces! See figure 8 for example of cones.

7. Strobe lights are useful when power has been cut off during an emergency. Make sure that they are regularly checked as well as smoke detectors. See figure 9 for example of strobe lights.

8. Know which rooms or access points that are out of bounds because of high voltage or because they are storage areas for say, propane gas. Warning signs should be placed on doors to such areas. See figure 10.

9. A water hose is a tool that you should be familiar with as well.  Look for it in your building and read instructions. See figure 11.

Figure 1: Example of Evacuation Plan. Source: Tom Mukasa

Figure 2. Using stairs signage. Source: Tom Mukasa

Figure 3. Exit sign and Exit door with emergency strobe lights. Source: Tom Mukasa

Figure 4. Handheld fire extinguisher newly inspected. Source: Tom Mukasa

Figure 5. Know the fire categories. Source: Prinzing Company

Figure 6. Know the fire categories. Source: Prinzing Company

Figure 7. Know the fire categories. Source: Prinzing Company

Figure 8. WET FLOOR Cones. Source: Tom Mukasa

Figure 9. Strobes. Source: Tom Mukasa

Figure 10. Warning signage. Source: Tom Mukasa

Figure 11. Water Hose. Source: Tom Mukasa