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The movement to address racism through policy change in the U.S. is receiving significant political support at every level of government. Government institutions are acknowledging the systemic oppression of people of color that persists in the United States and elevating racism as an urgent public health emergency comparable to other public health crises.

State and local jurisdictions are developing Ending the HOV Epidemic plans. The EHE initiative has largely focused on four key strategies: Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond to potential outbreaks. The EHE initiative set a goal to increase the estimated percentage of individuals with indications for PrEP who have been prescribed PrEP to 50 percent by 2025, as the national average as of 2018 is 18.2 percent. Several states have proposed and/or passed legislation to ensure insurance coverage of PrEP and/or to allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense it. In addition to efforts addressing cost-related challenges, states can also employ innovative approaches—such as telehealth—to expand access to PrEP services to those in need.

As we celebrate National Rural Health Day this year, we are reminded of how important telehealth can be for public health and healthcare. Telehealth can minimize challenges faced by rural patients and communities—such as transportation, provider shortages, etc.—manage volume, increase the quality of healthcare, and lower overall costs by reducing readmissions and avoidable emergency department visits. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that access to reliable broadband is still a challenge and is a key social determinant of health for rural Americans.

Many states have introduced bills to strengthen and increase access to these prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services, building a solid foundation of care for women who must navigate the healthcare system and make difficult decisions during public health emergencies.

On Dec. 3, the International Day of People with Disabilities commemorates disability rights and brings awareness to essential issues for those with disabilities by promoting the “well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society.” While the ADA laid a critical foundation for disability rights, the work to ensure equitable access to services and needs continues, including access to state and local emergency preparedness and response activities like crisis communication, access to resources, allocation of vaccine and other medical countermeasures, and transportation.

In February 2023, ASTHO staff traveled to Koror, Palau for a four-day health equity summit and held workshops to identify, select, and prioritize measures for Palau’s health equity work.

Following a hurricane, the risk of exposure to infectious disease increases due, in part, to the presence of floodwater and debris. Hurricanes may contribute to population displacement and overcrowding—further heightening risk factors for respiratory diseases—as well as cause damage to healthcare facilities. In this post, see how jurisdictions respond to the biggest post-hurricane threats, from water-borne diseases to severe disruptions in the healthcare system.

Reflections on ASTHO's time at the National Menthol Conference.

Partnering with Community Action Agencies Can Improve Trust in Vaccines astho, association of state and territorial health officials, association of state and territorial health officials astho, state health official, public health official, territorial health official, island jurisdictions, state health, health department, public health, state and territorial health, social determinants of health, johns hopkins, advance health equity, socially determined, health inequities, race ethnicity, covid-19 vaccines, health disparities, vaccine supply, high income countries, vaccine equity, vaccine distribution, vaccine hesitancy, immunization, centers for disease control, community action agencies, covid19 pandemic, at-risk populations, healthy equity Geetika Nadkarni Learn how community action teams are working to improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake in their own communities. In the current climate surrounding vaccinations and other large-scale public health measures, it’s more important than ever for public health to engage communities. One way to do this is through working with community action agencies (CAAs), local entities that work to reduce poverty and reduce disparities among the populations they serve. Funded through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), CAAs are an ideal complement to public health’s mission to address the social determinants of health and achieve greater equity. With support from CDC, ASTHO is working with the National Community Action Partnership and five CAAs in the Partnering for Vaccine Equity project, which aims to increase acceptance and uptake of vaccines among racial and ethnic minority groups and in rural communities. ASTHO chose to partner with CAAs as trusted community agents for this project because of their existing relationships within communities through programs such as Head Start, food banks, federal nutrition programs, and employment and housing assistance. Through their internal and external partnerships, they can reach people who may be concerned about vaccine safety and/or lack access to vaccination sites. Through this project, CAAs are partnering with residents, faith-based organizations, local schools and universities, state and local public health departments, and non-profits active in the community. They are also engaging a range of local providers, such as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), physicians, community health workers, medical and nursing students, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). These community action teams are working together to improve vaccine acceptance and uptake and to customize evidence-based strategies to their own communities and neighborhoods. article yes

Experts from the Washington State Department of Health discuss understanding and addressing climate and equity concerns.

This episode dissects concerns at the southwest United States border, where health and governmental officials find themselves managing an extraordinarily complex situation: handling an increase in migration activity during a global pandemic.

The Embedded specialist in South Carolina used an ASTHO tool to assist the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control improve inclusivity of people living with disabilities in their public health programs.

This blog shares key takeaways from the first Island Areas COVID-19 Health Equity Action Institutes.

One of the major disruptions to daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was the rapid shift from in-person K-12 education to virtual learning. While necessary for social distancing and slowing the spread of disease, there is a concern that time away from traditional classroom environments has slowed student’s anticipated learning trajectory and milestones, resulting in what is referred to as learning loss. If left unmitigated, learning loss may result in lower educational achievement and poorer health outcomes in the future for current students, particularly students with disabilities.

While COVID-19 remains a top public health priority, the pandemic has also intensified the need for strong tobacco control policies and marketing campaigns. CDC recognizes current or former tobacco users as one of several groups at higher risk of severe illness, including hospitalization and death, after contracting COVID-19. It is distressing to see signs that our success in encouraging tobacco users to quit has been slowed over the course of the pandemic. Fortunately, amid these challenges, many tobacco control groups have stayed focused.

Three public health experts share how they prioritized vaccine equity for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities on the local, state, and national levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this episode, speakers will address both issues and highlight the importance of public health agencies leading with and integrating equity in their COVID-19 response. We hear from three leaders managing their COVID-19 response by prioritizing areas with the greatest need and supporting community-led decision-making to ensure the most socially vulnerable populations have increased access to treatment, testing, isolation options, and resources.

Interview with Gina M. Raimondo, former governor of Rhode Island, to learn more about a Rhode Island Department of Corrections initiative that helps prevent and treat addiction among incarcerated individuals and other statewide efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

This blog describes how Palau's health ministry collaborated with its community to design indicators to better measure health equity in its jurisdiction.

This post explores the importance of including maternal and child health considerations in infectious disease emergency preparedness and response in states, territories, and freely associated states.