As COVID-19 spread across the country, governors and health officials invoked their emergency powers to order physical distancing measures designed to reduce social interactions and slow the spread of the disease. Several of these ...
In August 2020, the Big Cities Health Coalition and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials released a co-produced public service announcement to support public education in our members’ communities. The call to action in ...
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, increased attention has been given to how schools, colleges, and universities can safely reopen for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year. To note, many schools and institutions closed in ...
In 1965, while signing the Voting Rights Act into law, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated that “a man without a vote is a man without protection.” However, voting is a bit more complicated this year as it can increase the chance of ...
Scientists are working quickly to develop a safe and effective vaccine to provide immunity to COVID-19. Once a vaccine is approved, it will likely be imperative for states to authorize as many health care professionals to administer it, ...
This report contains lessons learned and examples of messaging strategies that were successful during cyanobacterial bloom responses, they were collected from 17 state health agency staff members across 12 states.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to using a Health in All Policies (HiAP) strategy to address lead poisoning prevention. ASTHO held key informant interviews with staff from four state health agencies to learn more about their state ...
In recent years, tick-borne disease cases in the U.S. have almost doubled. The case studies and analyses in this report may serve as a guide as states respond to similar problems in their jurisdictions.
This report highlights how the North Dakota Department of Health and its partners tested health information technology approaches to improve blood pressure measurement and referral systems in eight local health units and one tribal ...
This report presents findings from ASTHO’s 2017 Mosquito Control Survey, including information from thirty-eight jurisdictions about the organizational structure of mosquito control activities and the roles of key external partnerships at ...
In this infographic, ASTHO highlights some of the biggest takeaways, successes, and data collected from the Breastfeeding Learning Community.
This brief draws on health officials’ experiences in territories and Freely Associated States to illustrate opportunities to lead improvement efforts by building relationships, committing to data use, establishing regular communication, ...
Developing and implementing contact tracing programs in K-12 schools presents a crucial opportunity for both health department and school leaders to keep students healthy, and schools open. This brief shares considerations for health ...
In the United States, suicide and overdose are among the top 10 leading causes of death. At the intersection of suicide and overdose are shared factors that can be assessed to support a comprehensive approach to prevention. The COVID-19 ...
The digital divide in healthcare has created a growing division between communities who have access to digital health technologies and broadband versus those who experience limited access to these resources. Marginalized communities such ...
ASTHO placed 14 disability and preparedness specialists in health agencies to support inclusivity of people living with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. In this brief, three of these specialists share their experiences ...
This infographic outlines recommendations for how PQCs can promote breastfeeding through quality improvement strategies, and includes examples of three state PQCs that have improved policies, procedures, and practices to better support ...
This infographic, recently updated with 2018 data, outlines the rising rates of STDs, the importance of investing in health department programs, and how public health is our best line of defense in combating this epidemic.
This brief highlights efforts in Colorado and Minnesota to reduce e-cigarette use in youth and young adults.
Public health officials are key in crafting policies and strategies that address the social determinants of health to advance health equity and improve population health.