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This editorial highlights the territories and freely associated states’ achievements in reducing health disparities.

This commentary evaluates the application of ASTHO's Islands Health Equity Framework in two island areas.

This interactive guide is a tool to help public health changemakers identify their place on the path to health equity.

An interactive framework and database to assist health departments in advancing health equity and incorporating communities in population health programs and strategies.

This Roadmap supports rural health organizations to deepen health equity efforts to create the conditions for everyone to thrive together using the Pathways to Population Health Equity framework.

An ASTHO podcast discussing the financing mechanisms states can use to integrate CHW services into the health care system—and how state/territorial health agencies can support Medicaid in these efforts with Diana Crumley, JD, MPAff, Former Associate Director of Delivery System Reform at the Center for Health Care Strategies.

A Youtube video walking users through the Pathways to Population Health Equity website and how to utilize its resources.

Provides a place of connection for CHWs as well as provides professional development and training opportunities.

This article identifies key interventions to advance health equity in the island areas.

Health in All Policies ASTHO has been providing resources to empower states and territories to implement health in all policies (HiAP) strategies for over a decade. HiAP is a collaborative approach that integrates and articulates health and equity considerations into policy making and programming across sectors, and at all levels, to improve the health of all communities and individuals. Using a HiAP strategy, public health practitioners collaborate with other sectors to define and achieve mutually beneficial goals. ASTHO’s HiAP resources include reports, policy guides, success stories, and briefs. website

Infectious Disease Prevention Improving Infectious Disease Prevention Capacity Association of state and territorial health officials, astho, infectious disease, public health agencies, management of infectious disease, emerging infectious disease, infectious disease threats, support disease elimination, state and territorial public health agencies, infectious disease public health, vaccine-preventable, immunization services, infectious disease prevention, advance health equity, vaccine confidence, disease intervention, disease intervention specialists, contact trace, influenza, flu, CORHA Infectious disease prevention is at the core of public health work — strengthen your capacity to prevent and control infectious disease with ASTHO tools. Infectious disease prevention and control is a core function of state and territorial public health. This effort is reliant on disease surveillance, effective public health policy, outbreak response, and communication. ASTHO’s Infectious Disease teams are committed to helping health agencies as they track and respond to new and emerging infectious diseases and implement effective infectious disease programs and policies. They work to strengthen state and territorial capacity to prepare for, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats (e.g., emerging pathogens, vaccine-preventable diseases, healthcare-associated infections, and antimicrobial-resistant organisms). Key efforts include: Providing strategic guidance on emerging policy and programmatic issues affecting state and territorial public health infectious disease efforts, including through ASTHO’s Infectious Disease Policy Committee. Collaborating with national partners, including the Association of Immunization Managers, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and other key partners to advance shared priorities. Leading and facilitating The Council for Outbreak Response: Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens to improve public health and health care outbreak responses. ASTHO’s Infectious Disease teams also develop vital resources — from blog articles to reports and online courses — detailing the latest policy trends in infectious disease prevention, new outbreaks and recommended actions, innovations in public health preparedness, and more. Explore these and other infectious disease topics in the following resources. website

"Bounce forward" into a better world by using these resources to create healthier, more resilient communities.

#MaskUp Campaign ASTHO and the Big Cities Health Coalition produced a public service announcement to encourage people across the country to express their compassion for others and #MaskUp. Please download, share, and encourage others to do their part to protect the community from the pandemic. website no

Making Contact: A Training for COVID-19 Case Investigators and Contact Tracers The nation's ability to quickly contain infectious disease outbreaks is more important than ever, and an expanded contact tracing workforce is critical for this effort. ASTHO and the National Coalition of STD Directors are pleased to offer this free online course to support the rapid training and scale-up this new contact tracing workforce. Interested in taking the course? Check out our FAQs for Learners (PDF). Interested in directing your learners to the course? Check out our FAQs for Public Health Authorities and Training Providers (PDF). Additional questions? Contact the training team. Looking for additional contact tracing resources? Visit ASTHO's COVID-19 page. website no

Disease Forecasting ASTHO was an active partner in the creation of CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA), including early calls for the federal government to create a center charged with improving response capabilities to emerging public health threats through disease modeling and forecasting. ASTHO leadership was involved in advisory roles as CFA was initiated. Consultation and engagement on how the work of CFA can be most effectively used in the field continues with state and territorial health officials, health department, and ASTHO staff. Since 2022, ASTHO has received funding from CFA to support health department decision-makers with disease forecasting. This project includes a needs assessment which outlines knowledge of and capacity for disease forecasting activities throughout the nation’s state and territorial public health system. ASTHO also convened monthly sessions with partner organizations—the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the National Conference of State Legislatures—to share updates on disease forecasting related programming, identify opportunities for coordination and collaboration between the organizations and our respective members, and work in partnership with CFA as they continued to develop and implement programming. ASTHO works with existing peer networking groups, learning communities, and policy committees to seek input on disease forecasting topics. Updates from CFA are regularly shared with various ASTHO work groups and newsletters reaching health officials, senior deputies, epidemiologists, infectious disease directors, public health preparedness directors, informatics directors, public health attorneys, legislative liaisons, public information officers, and others. This included a five-session disease forecasting learning series in the spring of 2024. Disease Forecasting Learning Series In response to capacity needs identified through a needs assessment and regional meetings, ASTHO held a five-session disease forecasting learning series in the spring of 2024. Topics included Disease Forecasting Basics Part 1 and 2, Workforce Challenges and Opportunities, Communicating about Disease Forecasting, and Communicating with Policymakers about Disease Forecasting. Presenters included subject matter experts from ASTHO, CDC, partner organizations, academia, and health departments who provided important context and real-world application of the topic from experiences in their jurisdictions. Latest Webinar Communicating with Policymakers July 18, 2024 Overview of key considerations when developing documents and talking points that will be used to brief health department leaders, policymakers, and elected officials. Adam Brush, MSW, MPH, Associate Director for Policy and Communication, Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, CDC Shannon Kolman, MBA, Senior Policy Specialist, Health Program, National Conference of State Legislatures Maggie Davis, JD, MA, Director, State Health Policy, ASTHO article False

About Infectious Disease Prevention About Infectious Disease Prevention Learn about infectious disease prevention and ASTHO’s role in supporting health agencies' efforts to protect communities from communicable diseases. Infectious disease prevention and control is a core responsibility of state and territorial public health agencies. These agencies implement interventions, policies, and programs to protect individuals, communities, and even the economy. Infectious disease prevention protects communities from communicable diseases, such as measles, tuberculosis, influenza, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and emerging pathogens. Through surveillance, policy, outbreak response, and communication, state and territorial health departments safeguard not only health, but economic and workforce stability as well as community resilience through coordination at local, state, national, and global levels. ASTHO is committed to supporting the infectious disease prevention efforts of its members and other public health and healthcare professionals with expert insights on the latest information and innovations in the field. What Is Infectious Disease Prevention and Control? Infectious disease prevention and control encompass measures and interventions to limit the spread of communicable diseases. Transmission modes vary, but public health interventions focus on identifying and breaking the chains of transmission to: Prevent further spread of disease. Mitigate individual and community impacts. State and territorial health agencies are responsible for monitoring disease trends, implementing control measures, coordinating with federal and local partners, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. Tools to ensure effective detection, investigation, and response to communicable disease outbreaks include: Legal authority. Strong, coordinated data infrastructure. A well-trained workforce. Effective public health policy. Ericka McGowan - Page - About Infectious Disease How to Prevent Infectious Diseases Many factors contribute to preventing and controlling infectious diseases and protecting populations. Prevention measures help people stay healthy, and infectious disease prevention ultimately relies on individuals to take small but important actions that can influence individual, community, and population health. Individual measures may include staying current with vaccinations, proper hygiene, and handwashing. In addition, systems-level prevention strategies that state and territorial public health agencies may implement include: Immunization programs and vaccine policy implementation. Laboratory capacity. Epidemiologic investigation. Workforce capacity in disease intervention and contact tracing. Healthcare-associated infection prevention programs. Emergency preparedness and response coordination. Public and provider engagement and education. Policies and Programs Infectious disease policies are designed to prevent the spread of illness in places like school, childcare, work, community and religious organizations, and healthcare settings, providing guidance for: Hygiene: Standing up expectations for handwashing, cleaning surfaces, and other disease prevention behaviors. Sick leave: Outlining policies and expectations for reporting illness, staying home when sick, and safely returning to work. Vaccination: Requiring or recommending immunizations (i.e., vaccine requirements for healthcare, school, or childcare entry). Public Health Surveillance and Monitoring State, territorial, and local health departments, along with partners in healthcare, look for signals in the community that may indicate a potential increase in an infectious disease — also known as public health surveillance and monitoring. This is a tool that helps public health departments identify where, when, and how to prevent, control, or stop infectious disease outbreaks. Surveillance can include disease reporting by healthcare providers and laboratories, wastewater monitoring, and cross-jurisdictional data sharing. This data is collected and used to help identify cases and populations at risk for exposure or disease transmission. Communication and Education Communicating about new and emerging or re-emerging infectious disease threats and educating the public, healthcare providers, and policymakers are vital roles for state and territorial health agencies. Additionally, health agencies must work with medical professionals, the media, and community partners to raise awareness about infectious disease outbreaks in their communities. Why Is Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Important? Infectious disease prevention and control is an important function of public health agencies to preserve individual and community well-being, as many infectious diseases spread quickly and can have varying (but sometimes debilitating) impacts. Infants, the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and other high-risk groups may be disproportionately vulnerable to infectious disease and suffer more severe complications if they contract an infectious disease. Infectious diseases can also have downstream social and economic impacts. For example, measles outbreaks lead to missed time at school for children infected with or exposed to the disease, which results in caregiver time, loss of productivity, and reduced income and spending. There are also financial and other associated costs to public health — with recent research estimating an average cost of $766,013.80 for public health agencies per measles outbreak (including the resources required to initiate an investigation and mobilize a response). Further, certain infectious diseases, such as those with the potential to become a pandemic, have global impacts that drive an even higher cost, in lives, money, and resources to control them. Fortunately, state and territorial public health efforts to prevent infectious disease result in huge savings across the board. Kate Petersen - Page - About Infectious Disease How Does ASTHO Support Infectious Disease Prevention and Control? ASTHO serves as a national voice representing state and territorial public health, ensuring federal policy, funding decisions, and national strategies reflect infectious disease priorities. It has multiple teams dedicated to supporting infectious disease prevention and control. Together, they play a crucial role in helping state and territorial health agencies track and respond to emerging infectious diseases, implement effective infectious disease infrastructure and policy, and more. Key activities include: Providing strategic guidance on emergency policy and programmatic issues affecting state and territorial public health infectious disease efforts, through ASTHO’s Infectious Disease Policy Committee, which: Evaluates federal, state, and territorial policy impacting national infectious disease programs. Elevates state and territorial perspectives in national policy discussions. Provides subject matter expertise and strategic insight on surveillance, outbreak response, immunization policy, workforce, and infrastructure. Offers perspectives from the field about emerging infectious disease topics. Maintaining crucial partnerships with the Association of Immunization Managers, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and others in the field, to: Share situational awareness. Align and coordinate policy approaches. Enhance outbreak response capacity nationwide. Serve as a bridge between state public health and national funders/stakeholders. Co-leading and facilitating The Council for Outbreak Response: Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens to improve practices and policies related to outbreaks of these pathogens. Supplying technical assistance and producing capacity building resources (e.g., INSPIRE: Readiness) around infectious disease prevention and control. Get in Touch Working to enhance your health department’s capacity to prevent and control infectious disease? ASTHO’s Infectious Disease unit is here to support your efforts. Take a look at ASTHO’s infectious disease prevention resources, and reach out for direct assistance by emailing infectiousdisease@astho.org. article

ASTHO offers first-class resources for public health officials for leadership development and ongoing education on the cutting edge in public health.

Developing Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) is a leadership development program that increases and strengthens participants’ visibility and exposure in public health systems, access to key networks, and leadership development opportunities.

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Learn more about DELPH Cohort 5 participants.