CDC Foundation and Partners Launch New Coalition to Strengthen Outreach and Education for the COVID-19 Response

ATLANTA, Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The CDC Foundation today launched the Community COVID Coalition to support outreach and education for state communication efforts for the COVID-19 response. The coalition, which includes the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), will support state efforts to educate diverse communities about effective public health interventions for slowing the spread of COVID-19.

"Coalitions involving the public and private sector, as well as the philanthropic community, are proving to be important components of the pandemic response," said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "We know no single entity can do this alone. We are the most effective when we come together to support key aspects of the response."

The initial work of the coalition focuses on communications for contact tracing. Contact tracing is a core public health tool that has been used successfully for decades and is now being deployed on a national scale to slow the spread of COVID-19.  Strong culturally relevant communication is key to successful contact tracing.  In many areas, response rates for contact tracing are low.  Research shows there is a lack of understanding about the role of contact tracing in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

States that participate in the coalition will receive targeted, culturally relevant social media resources developed and tested by public health communications experts. The resources are educational and include information about what contact tracing is, and how contact tracing helps stop the spread of COVID-19; why individuals should participate in contact tracing efforts; and the basics of what individuals should expect if they are contacted.  Participating states also receive donated advertising space to use on Facebook platforms to ensure messages are effectively reaching key audiences. Initial funding for the coalition is from Facebook.

More information about the Community COVID Coalition is available here: www.COVIDCoalition.org.

The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit created by Congress to mobilize support for the critical work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Foundation provides strategic guidance and project coordination for the Community COVID Coalition and participating states.

The National Governors Association (NGA) is a bipartisan organization dedicated to finding solutions that improve the lives of citizens through state government. NGA will aid in identifying and assessing state interest in utilizing social media as best practices for COVID mitigation messaging.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) exists to support, equip, and advocate for state and territorial health officials in their work of advancing the public's health and well-being. ASTHO provides strategic collaboration, coordination and ensures strong connections to state public health departments, core public health systems and trusted community partners in their efforts to safely reopen.

Facebook is playing a critical role in supporting this public-private partnership to make sure states have the resources they need to combat COVID-19. Using its platforms to drive awareness of the latest information on public health measures, Facebook will provide a digital toolkit to help inform communities of relevant initiatives and will offer social media resources and ad credits for state health departments to disseminate timely and accurate information about manual contact tracing. Specific tools include the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Center, in-product promotions and notifications, as well as public service announcements.

About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC's critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1 billion and launched more than 1,000 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 140 countries last year. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information. Follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

SOURCE CDC Foundation