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Julia Greenspan, ASTHO Director, Infectious Diseases, says the FDA deciding to import a medication that treats syphilis is a step in the right direction; Caitlin Langhorne Griffith, ASTHO Director of Behavioral Health, tells us many states...
Julia Greenspan, ASTHO Director for Infectious Diseases, says the FDA deciding to import a medication that treats syphilis is a step in the right direction; Caitlin Langhorne Griffith, ASTHO Director of Behavioral Health, tells us many states have passed laws to encourage firearm education and safety; an ASTHO webinar could help you learn new ways to leverage policy and funding to prevent adverse childhood experiences; and ASTHO’s Adverse Childhood Experiences Capacity Assessment Tool can help agencies identify opportunities to work on this important public health issue.
CNN News Article: FDA to allow importation of syphilis drug amid ongoing shortages
ASTHO Blog Article: Preventing Firearm Injury and Death with Safe and Secure Storage Policies
ASTHO Webinar: Leveraging Policy and Funding to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences
ASTHO Webpage: Adverse Childhood Experiences Capacity Assessment Tool Roadmap
ROBERT JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, January 29, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
JULIA GREENSPAN:
The drug, bicillin, has been facing a shortage since spring of 2023. And because there's the shortage, folks can't get treated when they have syphilis.
JOHNSON:
The FDA decision to allow a French drugmaker to temporarily import a medication that treats syphilis is considered a step in the right direction as cases among pregnant people and their infants continue to rise. This is ASTHO's Julia Greenspan.
GREENSPAN:
Bicillin is the only drug that can treat syphilis in pregnant people. But also the FDA does follow, have strict rules about importation and things like that. And they have this review that found that the French drug is equivalent to bicillin, which is why they chose to allow importation.
JOHNSON:
Greenspan says the FDA move gives health care providers a treatment option and public health officials another opportunity to promote education and testing.
GREENSPAN:
And it has to be beyond, sort-of, our traditional settings for STI testing, because that's not the only place that folks who have syphilis are going, so, we have to think outside of the box, and then also working with providers to know that this important medication is available to give.
JOHNSON:
You can read more about the FDA decision by clicking the link in the show notes.
Safe and secure storage of firearms could help reduce gun violence. ASTHO's Caitlin Langhorne Griffith says many states have passed laws to encourage firearm education and safety.
CAITLIN LANGHORNE GRIFFITH:
Several jurisdictions have policies in place related to safe storage education requirements, particularly in school settings. And these policies help ensure that school districts are providing information on injury and violence prevention among children, as well as the overall value of safe storage.
JOHNSON:
Langhorne Griffith adds there are many policy approaches that could prevent firearm injury and death.
LANGHORNE GRIFFITH:
Potential policy solutions could include things like building partnerships between public health and communities that are most impacted, establishing violence prevention program infrastructure that really focuses on the local and community levels, and sharing policies, identify those most at risk, improving the built environment of communities, and finally promoting safe and secure storage of firearms.
JOHNSON:
A new ASTHO blog article provides a summary of actions states have taken to address firearm safety and storage. You can read it by clicking the link in the show notes.
Also today, learn new ways to leverage policy and funding to prevent adverse childhood experiences in an ASTHO webinar happening this afternoon. O'Keyla Cooper has more.
O'KEYLA COOPER:
ASTHO is hosting a virtual webinar today, January 29, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET to discuss preventing adverse childhood experiences or ACEs. Dr. Jonathan Purtle and the Safe States Alliance will provide insights on communication policy and funding strategies. The CDC will also showcase ACEs prevention resources on VetoViolence. There's still time to register using the link in the show notes.
JOHNSON:
Finally, this morning, we have another ACEs update for you. ASTHO's Adverse Childhood Experiences Capacity Assessment Tool can help agencies identify opportunities to work on this important public health issue. Find it using the link in the show notes.
Before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player so you don't miss a single report and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.
