755: Island Areas Health Disparities examined, Supreme Court Rulings

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, September 23, 2024. I'm Janson Silvers.

Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

KARL ENSIGN: 

What's really exciting is with the recent CDC COVID-19 health disparities grant that was focused specifically on islands, and a partner grant that allowed us to provide support to islands with that grant, we were able to focus on health equity in an island setting.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO's Karl Ensign writes in an article for the American Journal of Public Health about work to address COVID-19 health disparities in the US territories and freely associated states. Ensign says, we also must take into account the unique challenges the island areas have faced.

ENSIGN: 

Atomic testing, limited health and public health infrastructure, in comparison to the states, and wide geographic dispersion of their populations.

SILVERS: 

Ensign says ASTHO and the CDC worked hard to ensure health equity was a priority.

ENSIGN: 

We convened what were called health equity action institutes where we engaged all islands, our federal partners, other partners, and subject matter experts, and we really sought to understand the island context, look at existing health equity frameworks and strategies, and adapt these for the islands.

SILVERS: 

Once the importance of health equity was established, they were able to take the next steps.

ENSIGN: 

With that shared understanding, developed those health equity frameworks which were so important for defining external factors, such as the role that food imports and state centric funding and policies play, foundational conditions, societal conditions, along with facilitating factors.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO and the CDC also have a technical package that explains when and how to deploy these strategies. Read More using the link in the show notes.

Recent Supreme Court decisions could have an impact on public health. ASTHO monitors rulings coming from the High Court. This is ASTHO's Christina Severin.

CHRISTINA SEVERIN: 

None of these cases were necessarily about public health or federal agencies that address health specifically. But again, these principles may apply across those disciplines as we see how the impacts of these decisions play out in the future.

SILVERS: 

One such case.

SEVERIN: 

So, one example to highlight is that the court addressed social media use by public officials and outlined a standard of sorts for determining how constitutional considerations can apply to the behavior online.

SILVERS: 

Another deals with rulemaking and other executive actions.

SEVERIN: 

There was another set of cases that the court decided in the area of administrative law that have the potential to impact again, health law, health policy going forward in the future.

SILVERS: 

Also, today, you still have time to ask your questions about the new Data Modernization Implementation Center Program. Sign up for the last office hours opportunity happening Thursday, September 26 at 4pm Eastern Time. There's a link in the show notes.

Severin summarizes several cases in a new blog article now online. There's a link in the show notes.

Finally, on tomorrow's show.

LISA RICHARDSON: 

Why is it that we put all these messages out there, but it seems that the things we've been messaging about haven't improved?

SILVERS: 

On tomorrow's newscast, the CDC's Dr. Lisa Richardson examines cancer messaging. Follow the show, and you'll have the episode on your mobile device at 5am. Tap the plus sign in the upper right corner of the screen you're looking at right now.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information.

I'm Janson Silvers. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition.

Have a great day.