Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: We Are All Public Health

This week is National Public Health Week - and despite tremendous successes in supporting the health of our nation, and with notable influences around the world, it seems to be at a crossroads.?

We have witnessed how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the many ways that our society is not impenetrable. The first system to take the heat was public health. And many would argue that public health continues to be chastised for lack of perfect systems, response times, regulations, and more. And while many continue to place blame on public health systems and leaders, the fact remains that public health is steadfast in its commitment to the health of our nation through a number of innovations despite the criticism.?

Last week, PBS aired “The Invisible Shield” - a four-part documentary examining how public health makes modern life possible and the consequences of how underfunding and misunderstanding puts our health at risk. The introductory episode presents one of my favorite topics: public health has doubled our life expectancy, but the system remains in jeopardy. The second explains how data has been an essential public health tool for over two centuries. The third, and likely most relevant to the current criticism, examines how disinformation, misunderstanding, and skepticism of science and distrust of government pressures the system. And the last part tackles while historically doubling life expectancy how we are now experiencing a slight decline and outlines the work required to rethink the system before it is too late.?

One of the major aspects of public health that will always have my admiration is its built in commitment to education and public understanding - this recent documentary series is a perfect example of this commitment. To have the ability to explain the protective system, acknowledge the ways it could be bolstered, and continue to oversee influence over clean water to tracking disease outbreaks to ensuring safe working standards to developing school nutrition programs to preventing gun violence (to name a few), is absolutely incredible. Despite the criticisms, public health continues to soar.? ?

Wishing you an informed National Public Health week!