Mississippi Delta Health Collaborative

The purpose of the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support implementation of population-wide and priority population approaches to prevent and control high blood pressure, and reduce health disparities associated with high blood pressure, among adults in the 18-county Mississippi (MS) Delta Region, which is a high burden, underserved, rural area. This will be achieved by the applicant implementing two components – Component 1 and Component 2 – across the MS Delta Region: Component 1 is to implement or strengthen environmental strategies to increase environments that promote, support, or reinforce physical activity and healthy foods and beverages, particularly those with low or no sodium, and to increase tobacco- and smoke-free environments. Component 2 is to implement or strengthen health systems and community-clinical linkage strategies. Component 1 and Component 2 will be implemented simultaneously and synergistically to address the prevention and control of high blood pressure among MS Delta Region's general and priority populations. Priority populations are those adult population subgroups in the MS Delta Region with uncontrolled high blood pressure who experience racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities, including inadequate access to care and poor quality of care. Further, Component 1 (environmental strategies) will be implemented or strengthened in the same communities as Component 2 (health systems and community-clinical linkage strategies). The applicant is strongly encouraged to sub-award 50% of award funds to local- and regional-level entities to contribute to the work, must provide leadership and technical assistance to selected MS Delta Region communities, and must ensure overall coordination.