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.
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 ...
Health Officials Combat Nation’s Maternal Mortality Rates ARLINGTON, VA—State and territorial health officials are assessing maternal care programs within their states to address the rise in maternal deaths across the nation. According to ...
In this ASTHO Member Spotlight, Danny Staley of North Carolina discusses his routine, professional influences, and public health priorities.
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges for screening children’s blood lead levels, as screening rates across the country dropped during stay-at-home orders. A substantive federal policy change and provisions in the Infrastructure ...
This report analyzes way that public health officials can mitigate the impact of disasters on pregnant people, neonates, and infants through a variety of policies, including policies related to preparing for, responding to, and recovering ...
Emerging evidence indicates that affordable, safe, and stable housing directly impacts an individual’s health and well-being, emphasizing the importance of designing Medicaid benefits packages that incorporate the social determinants of ...
Danny Staley (alumni-NC) discusses his role as ASTHO’s Chief of Caribbean Operations and how his time as North Carolina's state health official helped him prepare for his current position.
SepticSmart Week is an annual opportunity for health agencies at all jurisdictional levels to share educational resources about onsite wastewater treatment system upkeep. This post highlights efforts in North Carolina and Virginia to ...
Dental care and the oral health workforce have also been tremendously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of stay at home orders, nationwide closures, and related employment loss, people have largely put their oral health on ...
Increasing and maintaining vaccine coverage is an important way to prevent the spread of disease and keep communities healthy. This post is an overview of 2019 state vaccine legislative activities.
With data showing the number of the opioid overdose deaths escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose, continues to be an important topic for policy makers. The number of ...
An increasing body of research finds racism can have a significant impact across one’s lifespan. Research shows that persistent exposure to racial discrimination may result in premature aging, poor health outcomes, and increased prevalence ...
Conditioning school attendance on student vaccinations is an evidence-based way of maintaining and increasing vaccine coverage. State law establishes school vaccination requirements which apply not only to public schools but often to ...
More than 100 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, and an additional 25% are at high risk of closure, and COVID-19 has magnified the existing stressors on rural healthcare. As a result, states are using a variety of measures to address ...
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 the COVID-19 pandemic, Emergency Operations Centers played a vital role as health department leaders implemented and coordinated response objectives, plans, and activities. The lessons learned from EOC rollout will help public ...
This post features input from departments in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas to learn more about their experiences of post-hurricane environmental health issues, as well as advice and best practices for responding to these ...
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a common virus that can lead to certain types of cancer later in life. Because of this, some policymakers are working to include the HPV vaccine in school entry immunization requirements to boost ...