To address the root causes of disparities experienced by Milwaukee's African American and immigrant (Latino, Eastern European, and Somali) populations (especially in the rates of infant mortality, STDs, teen pregnancy, immunizations completion, and childhood lead poisoning), the City of Milwaukee Health Department has spearheaded the Center for Health Equity. The Center for Health Equity focuses on three strategies to affect policy that influences the social and economic factors that influence health status. These strategies include: educating policymakers and government officials about the relationship between socioeconomic and environmental factors and health, working directly with policy makers to implement policies that improve health equity by providing policy development, analysis, and advocacy, and community organizing and capacity-building to increase community involvement and influence in the policy process.