ASTHO Commends President Biden’s Commitment to Protect America’s Health

March 02, 2022

ARLINGTON, VA—Today, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) CEO Mike Fraser released the following statement commending President Biden’s State of the Union pledge to protect America’s health by addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid epidemic, and current mental health crisis.

“We are now entering a new phase of the COVID-19 global pandemic. State and territorial public health officials are eager to ensure President Biden’s vision is realized and remain committed to supporting the COVID-19 response by increasing uptake of vaccinations and enhancing our ability to detect new variants. While the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, public health leaders acknowledge that we must reprioritize addressing the opioid epidemic and focus on prevention efforts. We applaud the administration’s move to increase access to treatment and support for recovery programs for persons struggling with opioid use disorder and addiction.

State and territorial health leaders are also committed to working with President Biden and members of Congress to address the mental health crisis plaguing our youth and impacting healthcare and public health workers who have spent the last two years tirelessly responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We look forward to collaborating with the administration to ensure optimal health for all.”

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ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.