As we commemorate Mental Health Month in May, state health departments are tasked with a monumental public health crisis that includes the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and suicide.
ASTHO Statement on Rise in National Sexually Transmitted Disease Rates ARLINGTON, VA—Michael Fraser, CEO of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), issued the following statement in response to new preliminary ...
COVID-19 has stressed the U.S. healthcare and public health systems and highlighted racial and ethnic disparities in pre-existing conditions and health outcomes. In this episode, our guests discuss how health officials can serve as chief ...
In this episode, we explore Pennsylvania’s multi-pronged approach to addressing the opioid epidemic in the state and efforts to expand access to Medication Assisted Treatment.
Recent state laws and governor emergency orders prohibiting universal school mask protocols are complicating the implementation of CDC’s evidence-based guidance for COVID-19 mitigation measures for in-person school. Ten states have enacted ...
The National School Lunch Program, a federally-assisted meal program run by USDA, has provided millions of children with nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches each school day.
As governments and private entities adopt COVID-19 vaccine protocols to protect health and safety, legal challenges are mounting. In some states, policymakers have proactively attempted to limit or prohibit adopting COVID-19 vaccine ...
The impact of the COVID-19 response on the public health workforce has been profoundly felt by employees and the agencies they serve. Across the country, unplanned leadership transitions, early retirements, and personnel scale-ups have all ...
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 ...
This video post highlights the Colorado National Collaborative, an innovative collaborative framework that is improving suicide and overdose prevention efforts in Colorado, and how a similar approach might benefit other jurisdictions.
While COVID-19 remains a top public health priority, the pandemic has also intensified the need for strong tobacco control policies and marketing campaigns. CDC recognizes current or former tobacco users as one of several groups at higher ...
The fear, uncertainty, and trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected how individuals interpret public health messages. With this in mind, this brief outlines recommendations for case investigators and contact tracers to consider ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy has increased because of misinformation and disinformation spreading across social and traditional media platforms, targeting vulnerable and underserved communities, and further stalling ...
What public health problem are you attempting to address and how can telehealth technology help you do it? This resource helps state and territorial health agencies assess, define, plan, and implement new telehealth programs.
This week might have marked the beginning of summer, but many policymakers and health officials have their eye on the upcoming school year and what that might mean in terms of getting students vaccinated against COVID-19. According to a ...
Though we’ve made progress on the number of HIV cases in the U.S, tens of thousands of Americans are diagnosed with HIV each year—a disproportionate number being people of color. In 2019, the federal government launched the Ending the HIV ...
This week has been both exhilarating and poignant. Almost surreal. We started the week by pausing to celebrate and reflect on the life and legacy of one of America’s greatest sons, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Tuesday, ASTHO participated ...
With the COVID-19 pandemic in full force, health agencies are ensuring that their focus does not drift from the fight to end the HIV epidemic. Resiliency is key to continue to make progress in this decades-long fight.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted pregnant people and infants more severely than some other populations. As such, it is important to pay special attention to this vulnerable group.