The COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for an existing behavioral health resource—the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center’s Crisis Hotline—to become a household name. During the pandemic, the hotline became a lifeline for a ...
This report aims to highlight the unique vector-borne disease challenges faced by Island Areas and to dive into the key components of a mosquito control program, that are relevant to these unique jurisdictions.
The 2020 holiday season is coinciding with a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases. With great concern that holiday travel to see loved ones may exacerbate community spread of the virus, many states are increasing public health measures ...
As COVID spread through the country and infection rates rose in every state, many of the the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) received media attention for remaining relatively COVID-free. The USAPI’s unified response in the face of ...
U.S. Territories Face Healthcare Cuts if Congress Does Not Address Impending Medicaid Financing Cliff ARLINGTON, VA—Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) member Esther Muña, MHA, chief executive officer at the ...
Over the past several years, states and jurisdictions have continued to implement important policies to reduce tobacco and nicotine use, including increasing tobacco prices, expanding areas deemed “smoke-free,” limiting the sale of ...
Collecting and sharing data are crucially important to improving health equity, because those datasets inform effective policymaking. Despite having some of the most challenging population health outcomes, the U.S. island areas are often ...
Both the Pacific and Caribbean are on the front lines of the dengue health security threat. As a result, many island areas, especially in the USAPI and Puerto Rico, are doing great work to combat dengue.
In the late fall of 2021, ASTHO leadership visited select jurisdictions in the Pacific and the Atlantic for the first time since COVID-19 curtailed travel to these regions. It was a fantastic to reconnect with our leadership and dedicated ...
Public health plays a vital role to ensure the safety of all attendees, prevent dangerous infectious disease outbreaks, and prepare for any potential threats. Learn about the work Guam did to prepare for the 2016 Festival of Pacific Arts.
In the spring of 2022, ASTHO’s island area members convened at the first island-focused COVID-19 Health Equity Action Institutes and asked each other what creating an equitable and sustainable public health and healthcare system looks like ...
In this post, ASTHO explores the conversations and considerations that went into developing the Islands Health Equity Framework.
ASTHO has several members from the territories and Freely Associated States—jurisdictions with unique challenges, and do not fall under the category of a state or federal district. This post is a brief look at some of the public health ...
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in Guam, Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. These jurisdictions are taking innovative steps to reduce hypertension among their populations.
Each year, ASTHO tracks and analyzes key legislation that impacts public health, and highlights the emerging trends for our members. While the bulk of the tracked legislation arises in state legislatures, ASTHO also follows legislation ...
After years of advocacy, ASTHO and our partners are celebrating the recently signed Consolidated Appropriations Act.
As the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, ASTHO is committed to the T in our name. The health officials from the territories and freely-associated states are valued members and we are committed to advocating for the ...
Understanding boundary spanning principles helps public health practitioners recognize the types of boundaries that come naturally when navigating relationships that may involve managing up, down, and across.