The Importance of Addressing Breastfeeding Policies in Health Equity Work
This Health Policy Update is an overview of state legislative activity addressing access to and support for breastfeeding or lactation practices.
Displaying 61-80 of 88 results for
The Midterm Elections’ Effect on Public Health
Discussing midterm election effects on public health policy and committees.
States Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections During COVID-19
Utah,
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 ...
Promoting Health Equity Through State Orders for COVID-19 Testing
In order to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread, rapid testing is key. Rampant and efficient testing determines who has the virus and who may be at risk of transmitting it, and ...
Congress Convenes Sectors on School Reopenings
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, increased attention has been given to how schools, colleges, and universities can safely reopen for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year. To note, ...
Getting Ahead of the COVID-19 Vaccine
Scientists are working quickly to develop a safe and effective vaccine to provide immunity to COVID-19. Once a vaccine is approved, it will likely be imperative for states to authorize as many health ...
Education and Public Health: Supporting Youth Through COVID-19 and Beyond
ACEs,
Ohio,
Toxic stress contributes to a variety of negative outcomes for children. And unfortunately, COVID-19 has increased the likelihood of children experiencing childhood trauma, adverse childhood ...
States Explore the Relationship Between Partner Violence and Substance Use Disorders
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a critical moment to address intimate partner violence as a major public health threat. Intimate partner violence associated with substance use disorders ...
State Public Health Authorities Face COVID-19 Legal Challenges
As COVID-19 spread across the country, governors and health officials invoked their emergency powers to order physical distancing measures designed to reduce social interactions and slow the spread ...
COVID-19 Pandemic Underscores Need for Tobacco Control Policies
Utah,
The COVID-19 pandemic has further amplified the need for strong tobacco prevention and cessation policies. Research indicates that tobacco use is associated with increased rate of COVID-19 disease ...
Why Public Health Officials Should Make Voting Accessible for Everybody
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State Actions on COVID-19 Vaccine Verification
Iowa,
As the number of COVID-19 vaccinations grows, some states are looking at their vaccination rates to determine when to loosen measures that mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as venue capacity ...
What to Know About the American Rescue Plan
One of President Biden’s first actions just before being sworn into office was to draft up the American Rescue Plan, a sweeping proposal that ASTHO has committed to working with the Biden ...
Changes to School Nutrition Programs Helping Curb Pandemic-Related Impacts
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.
Public Health and the Courtroom: How Health Officials Become Involved With Lawsuits
Ohio,
Utah,
As leaders of their state agency, state and territorial health officials can be named parties in lawsuits alleging that an action taken by a public health agency was unlawful. These officials are ...
How States Are Housing the Homeless During a Pandemic
Ohio,
Policymakers seek to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by focusing on non-congregate sheltering and alternative housing for unhoused populations.
Recent Federal Actions Spur Changes to Children's Blood Lead Level Screenings and Response
Iowa,
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 ...
Long COVID Causes Health Policy Shifts Across States
Data reveals that nearly one third of COVID-19 patients experience one or more post-COVID conditions that linger for weeks or months after infection. The cause, duration, and potential treatments for ...
How State and Territorial Health Departments Can Navigate Recent Executive Actions
One of tools presidents have to implement and drive their strategy are executive actions. Executive orders and presidential memoranda carry the force of law and allow presidents to move quickly, ...
Courts Considering Challenges to States Blocking School Mask Requirements
Iowa,
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 ...