Health conversations do not always start in a doctor’s office.
Sometimes they start in a barbershop, during a counseling session, at a community event, or in a church where people feel comfortable talking about their health.
That is the idea behind “It Takes a Village,” a Novartis community health campaign, highlighting the power of trusted relationships, community leadership, and partnerships to connect people with health information and resources.
The campaign aligns with the African American Male Wellness Agency (AAMWA), a national health and wellness organization that takes a “Clinic to Community” approach to bringing preventive health services and resources directly into the communities where Black men and their families live, work, and gather.
Together, AAMWA and Novartis are bringing cancer awareness, screening education, and health resources into communities across the United States through activations focused on prostate and breast cancer.
“Meaningful progress in community health depends on bringing together the strengths of communities, health systems, policymakers, healthcare professionals, industry and organizations like AAMWA,” said Elizabeth McGee, Global Head of Inclusive of Inclusive Health Accelerators, Community Impact & Partnerships, Novartis. “When we combine clinical expertise with local knowledge and trusted community relationships, we can help create pathways to care that reach people earlier and support solutions designed to be sustainable, scalable and responsive to local needs.”
The campaign was brought to life at Barberizm The Shoppe, owned by Donald “DC” Conley, Snoop Dogg’s barber, in Compton, California. There, Dr. John Gregory, CEO of the National Center for Urban Solutions and parent company of AAMWA, participated in a Novartis documentary-style interview about the role trusted spaces play in improving health.
“The National Center for Urban Solutions was built to develop solutions that address the conditions affecting health, opportunity and quality of life in urban communities,” said Gregory. “We created the infrastructure for the African American Male Wellness Agency and developed a community-based prevention model we call ‘Clinic to Community.’ AAMWA’s leadership has taken that model into cities across the country, adapting it to meet the needs of each community and building partnerships with trusted community cornerstones, including barbershops.”
The barbershop represents one example of the model in action, providing a trusted space where Black men can discuss private matters, including their health.
(Caption: Donald “DC” Conley, barber and owner of Barberizm The Shopper shaving John Gregory, CEO of the National Center for Urban Solutions and founder of AAMWA)
“When the African American Male Wellness Agency approached me to partake in this campaign it was an honor,” said Conley. “The work is unmatched and completely overlooked in our communities. But to combine dialogue with dynamic action is unparalleled. The mission is strong because it’s for the people!”
The web series episode will debut this fall as part of Novartis’ “It Takes a Village” campaign.
Through its signature Black Men’s Wellness Day Tour, AAMWA provides free health screenings in more than 20 cities nationwide. The tour has attracted more than 100,000 attendees.
(Caption: From left to right- Kenny Hampton, president of AAMWA; Movmber member; Dr. Pamela Gregory, co-founder of AAMWA; Travis Garone, co-founder of Movember; and Jamail Johnson, vice president of AAMWA.)
“Black men are dying,” said Kenny Hampton, president of AAMWA. “After screening over 10 thousand Black men in 24 months, we know 85 percent of those men had high blood pressure.”
Through Uplift Her, AAMWA brings health screenings and resources directly to women. Real Men Real Talk provides a trusted platform where Black men can access screenings and have honest conversations about wellness and the challenges they face.
The success of AAMWA’s community-based wellness activations has helped expand its partnership with Novartis.
Novartis will now work with AAMWA to increase awareness of breast and prostate cancer through quarterly wellness activations in Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, and Houston. AAMWA will provide health resources and conduct screenings.
For Gregory, the prostate cancer partnership is personal.
“Being a prostate cancer survivor changes the way you look at this work,” said Gregory. “I know what it means to have to face that diagnosis, and I know how important it is for men to have reliable information and trusted people talking to them about this topic.”
(Caption: The African American Male Wellness Agency leaders doing outreach in front of M&T Bank Stadium)
AAMWA employees are carrying that message into communities, including outreach around M&T Bank Stadium before and after the New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore Ravens game. Employees distributed educational materials about prostate cancer screening and the PSA blood test, which is collected through a blood draw from the arm.
“AAMWA’s approach combines local knowledge, trusted relationships and practical access to health resources to bring preventive health into communities. Its ‘Clinic to Community’ approach reflects our shared belief that reaching people earlier means meeting them where they are. Together, our partnership through the Inclusive Health Accelerator program aims to increase awareness of breast and prostate cancer and support community-led approaches that connect hard-to reach populations to information, screening and pathways to care,” said Korab Zuka, Global Head of Social Impact and Chief Sustainability Officer, Novartis.
