February 02, 2022|10:52 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Continuing ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus series—which highlights the top 10 public health policy issues for 2022—we are focusing this week on mental and behavioral health as well as supporting the public health workforce. Read More »
January 31, 2022|2:53 p.m.| ASTHO Staff
ASTHO notes the top state public health policy issues in an annual Legislative Prospectus series. ASTHO is publishing a prospectus for the top 10 policy issues to watch in 2022. This week we are featuring data modernization and privacy protections. Read More »
January 27, 2022|11:31 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Each year, ASTHO notes the top public health policy issues to watch in the upcoming year. ASTHO has published a prospectus on several issues, with more coming later this month. ASTHO kicked off its top 10 public health state policy issues to watch in 2022 with Immunization the first week in January. This week, we are focusing on e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco products. Read More »
January 26, 2022|11:05 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
State and territorial health agencies continue to be challenged by the opioid epidemic, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the opioid crisis requires a robust public health response, which could be helped by resources from pending and future opioid settlement funds. Read More »
January 25, 2022|3:58 p.m.| ASTHO Staff
Continuing ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus series—which highlights the top 10 public health policy issues for 2022—we are focusing this week on mental and behavioral health as well as supporting the public health workforce. Read More »
January 20, 2022|12:27 p.m.| Zarnaaz Bashir, MPH | ASTHO Deputy Chief Executive Officer
What better way to start the new year than with a new strategic plan! ASTHO’s Board of Directors approved the 2022-2024 Strategic Plan and launched it on Jan. 3, 2022, with a new set of priorities that reflect our ever-changing world and factors that influence the future of public health. Read More »
January 20, 2022|10:57 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Each year, ASTHO notes the top public health policy issues to watch in the upcoming year. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that can migrate into soil, water, and air during production and use, and can accumulate in the blood of people and animals over time from exposure. Read More »
January 19, 2022|11:59 a.m.| Wayne E. Cascio, MD | Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Research and Development | EPA
In the face of a worldwide pandemic, an increase in natural disasters, and the unsettling specter of homeland security threats, it’s easy for public health and environmental officials to feel like the odds are stacked against us. But we have a powerful partnership to level the playing field: EPA has joined forces with ASTHO and the Environmental Council on States. Together, we are rising to meet the environmental and related public health challenges the nation faces today while increasing our capacity to help communities bounce back from adversity. Read More »
January 18, 2022|11:12 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
As part of ASTHO’s annual Legislative Prospectus series, we are taking time this week to focus on efforts to end the HIV epidemic. Public health officials across all levels of government have been working to end the HIV epidemic, exploring new partnerships and efforts to implement evidenced based policies that could eliminate HIV. Read More »
January 12, 2022|10:40 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Public health is rapidly changing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health professionals are having to navigate their way through these changes all while remaining steadfast in their ability to help their communities. With new information emerging every day, it's essential to have a backlog of sources you can reference that are trustworthy, up-to-date, and easy to access. Read More »
January 10, 2022|11:33 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Each year, ASTHO notes the top public health policy issues to watch in the upcoming year. ASTHO has published a prospectus on several issues, with more coming later this month. ASTHO kicked off its top 10 public health state policy issues to watch in 2022 with Immunization the first week in January. This week, we are focusing on health equity and rural health. . Read More »
December 30, 2021|4:34 p.m.| Nirav D. Shah, MD, JD | Director, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and ASTHO President
Amid so much uncertainty, it might feel naïve to make any claims about what the future holds. But it is in these moments that it becomes more important than ever to have beacons to guide us and give us hope. As we look ahead to 2022, here are four priorities that must steer the public health course in the year to come. Read More »
December 29, 2021|11:30 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century, as well as some of the most powerful and cost-effective tools to prevent disease, disparities, disability, and death among children and adults. The COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented development and distribution of the vaccines against the novel coronavirus have generated much focus on state laws related to vaccinations. The increased attention means vaccine policy will be a closely watched issue during this year’s state and territorial legislative sessions as well as the impact any new laws may have on vaccine coverage. As state and territorial legislatures prepare to convene in the coming weeks, we can already identify several topics within vaccine law that policymakers across the country will consider. . Read More »
December 22, 2021|11:38 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
ASTHO's mission is to support, equip, and advocate for state and territorial health officials in their work of advancing the public's health and well-being. To that end, here are the 12 most popular resources our members, partners, and email subscribers accessed in 2021. Read More »
December 21, 2021|4:54 p.m.| ASTHO and NACCHO Staff
While governments have faced challenges in adopting a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach to respond to COVID-19, the impact of the public health emergency across sectors such as housing, transportation, and employment has created a unique opportunity for stakeholders to build and strengthen collaborative systems to address the inequities exacerbated by COVID-19. To aid health departments in their HiAP efforts, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Organizations (ASTHO) offer this overview of state and local experiences utilizing HiAP strategies to respond to the needs of their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More »
December 15, 2021|1:17 p.m.| ASTHO Staff
In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of viral hepatitis continue to rise at alarming rates across the United States. Data from CDC highlights a 133% rise in cases of acute hepatitis C infection from 2012-2019 and new case counts four times higher than those seen a decade ago. Additionally, although the United States met annual targets for reduction in cases and deaths associated with chronic hepatitis B, continued efforts to increase awareness of testing and linkage to care remain necessary. Read More »
December 15, 2021|10:56 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Across the nation, public health agencies have mounted herculean efforts to stem the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing a pre-existing HIV epidemic and an opioid crisis that is serving as a source for many new HIV outbreaks. Tackling these public health crises simultaneously presents significant challenges as overdose deaths have spiked in the past year while HIV resources have been diverted leading to lower testing rates, fewer prescriptions for as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and a decrease in HIV treatment, all of which will are likely to increase the number of acute HIV infections. Read More »
December 14, 2021|11:36 a.m.| ASTHO Staff
Over the past twenty years, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and natural disasters have increased and, by most accounts, this trend will continue. Disasters can impact anyone but past incidents highlight the particularly negative effects on people living with disabilities. Certain disabilities and activity limitations make it more difficult to prepare for and evacuate from an incident, underscoring the importance of planning in advance. Read about ASTHO’s specialists Erin Dotten (Michigan), Brooke Riester (New Mexico), and Stephen Heck (South Dakota), who have extensive experience understanding and responding to the needs of people living with disabilities during natural disasters. Read More »
December 14, 2021|11:18 a.m.| Karl Ensign, MPP | ASTHO Vice President, Territorial Support
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 fantastic to reconnect with our leadership and dedicated staff! Unsurprisingly, we heard about the jurisdictions’ challenges, including chronic ones related to funding and infrastructure, as well as new challenges resulting from the global pandemic. Read More »
December 08, 2021|7:12 p.m.| ASTHO Staff
Access to quality and reliable transportation is an indispensable aspect of American life. But for too many, social and economic conditions stand in the way. How do residents of Elk County, Kansas—where the nearest hospital is about 70 miles away—obtain necessary care in the face of transportation issues? How do residents of any medical desert bedeviled by transportation issues obtain care? These questions, among others, are difficult to answer for both the individuals who confront them directly and the experts and policy makers who confront them only indirectly. Read More »