WASHINGTON — In a few weeks, Kentucky will release the latest data on overdose deaths.

The 2022 overdose fatality report shows 2,135 Kentuckians died from an overdose that year, a 5% decrease from the year before.

Among Black Kentuckians, the number went up 8% from 2021 and about 47% from 2020, the report shows.

Keith McKenzie, executive director of the Kentucky Behavioral Health Center, is in long-term recovery.

“Children are growing up without their parents, and loved ones are having to go on with their lives without their spouses," McKenzie said. "And then, parents are burying their children."

The Louisville nonprofit has launched a Black-led program, Kentucky Recovery Connections, to combat overdose deaths among Black Kentuckians.

McKenzie said it's focused on neighborhoods in West Louisville and distributes the overdose-reversing drug Narcan, connects people with support services like transportation and provides training against addiction stigma.

“I do think there’s a lot to be said for cultural competency programming, programming that is reflective of the population in which the person is serving,” he said.

McKenzie said he hopes the 2023 report, expected in the next few weeks, shows its efforts are working.

The University of Kentucky reports a $27 million CDC grant is being used to create initiatives tailored to prioritize people who use drugs within Black, Hispanic and immigrant communities in Kentucky.