The food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink—these are all fundamental building blocks of health. ASTHO works with our members and other public health professionals to maintain these essential components of wellbeing. Along with these core issues, environmental public health considers other pieces of our environments that impact our health: vectors of disease like ticks and mosquitoes, the built environments in which we live, and climate change.
Addressing climate change is a key part of our agenda now and in the foreseeable future. Caring for the health of the environment around us is an important means of caring for our own health—a connection that is seen repeatedly in the resources below.
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APPLETREE ASTHOConnects and Factsheets
ASTHO, with support from CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), announced awards to five state health agencies (or their partners) to support their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Recording: One Health Webinars
ASTHO hosted informational webinars for states on the One Health framework—a collaborative approach to improve health outcomes that recognizes the connection between people, animals, and the environment.
Explore One Health
Environmental Health Programs and Services Portal
ASTHO fielded the Environmental Health Programs and Services Survey to state and territorial environmental health directors in 2019. The dashboard presents information on environmental health programs and services provided by state and territorial health agencies.
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Responding to Environmental Health Threats Following Hurricanes
Insight from officials in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas on their experiences of post-hurricane environmental health issues, as well as advice and best practices for responding to these challenges.
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Connecting Climate Change and Health Equity in Public Health Agencies
In this episode, experts from the Washington State Department of Health discuss understanding and addressing climate and equity concerns.
Listen to the Episode
Cyanobacterial Blooms and Associated Illnesses: A Clinician Training Module for Physicians and Healthcare Providers
ASTHO has created a clinician toolbox for physicians and healthcare providers to help them better understand cyanobacterial blooms and associated illnesses.
Access the PresentationLatest Environmental Health Resources
Where There’s Fire, There’s Smoke—States Prepare for Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke
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What Health Officials Should Know About Locally Acquired Malaria Cases in Florida and Texas
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School Ventilation and Air Filtration: Focus Group Findings and Guidance Considerations for Health Agencies
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Collaborations
ASTHO manages several environmental health groups, including the State and Territorial Environmental Health Directors peer group, the State Tribal Liaisons peer group, the National Association of Vector-Borne Disease Control Officials, the State Health in All Policies Group, and the Climate Change Collaborative.
With input from these groups, we develop documents, interactive platforms, and webinars to showcase the work that the members do on key environmental health areas.
We also convene more specific, ad hoc workgroups if there is an environmental health issue that requires more focus. These groups have helped in the development of some of our products as well, like Public Health Confronts the Mosquito 2nd Edition.
ASTHO also convenes the Environmental Health Policy Committee and has worked with the committee to develop policy statements for climate and extreme weather, health in all policies, and a general environmental health policy statement.