802: ASTHO Affiliate Council, More Syphilis Testing

SUMMER JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, December 3, 2024. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

DAVID HARVEY: 

The Affiliate Council are all the range of national public health organizations that work closely with ASTHO, but zero-in on very specific issues, whether it be immunizations, STI prevention, HIV, supporting the workforce.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO's Affiliate Council gathers leaders from across ASTHO and 20 affiliated organizations. The goal is to promote and protect public health. David Harvey is with the National Coalition of STD Directors, or NCSD. He also chairs the ASTHO Affiliate Council.

HARVEY: 

We contribute our input to various issues. We are a sounding board, sometimes a first warning, a sign of some issue that has emerged that may have not made its way up to the attention of the chief health officers.

JOHNSON: 

For NCSD, Harvey says the priority is continuing gains made in recent years.

HARVEY: 

Now that there are fundamental questions being asked about the role of public health in American society going forward under the new administration, we are worried about maintaining some forward momentum, so that is what we are pivoting to think hard about.

JOHNSON: 

To do that, Harvey and NCSD are preparing for next year.

HARVEY: 

And we work with anyone who wants to work with us in the national policy arena. So, we look forward to working with the new Trump administration and engaging in some of the big questions they are posing.

JOHNSON: 

Learn more about both NCSD and ASTHO's Affiliate Council by clicking the link in the show notes.

Earlier this year, the New Mexico Department of Health renewed a public health order to increase syphilis testing across the state. Here's Former Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, Patrick Allen.

PATRICK ALLEN: 

So, we ask that providers test all people between 18 and 50, male or female, and that within pregnancy, that pregnant people get tested once during the first trimester, once during the third trimester, and then at delivery.

JOHNSON: 

Allen says there were 14 deaths last year due to congenital syphilis. Testing helps identify syphilis earlier.

ALLEN: 

Unlike other STIs, syphilis has got this latent period with no symptoms. You end up with people able to transmit when they don't know that they've got an infection, that's causing that disparity in rates.

JOHNSON: 

With the increase in testing, Allen actually expects to see rates of syphilis rise. However, he believes overall health outcomes will improve.

ALLEN: 

What we ultimately want to be able to see is the rate of congenital syphilis go down, that we've caught more of it in the community. We've been able to tamp that down and have fewer exposed babies and fewer prenatal deaths and those kinds of issues.

JOHNSON: 

You can read the full renewed public health order on New Mexico's website. We have a link in the show notes.

Also, a new ASTHO brief outlines several recommendations for developing state firearm surveys. ASTHO gathered tips from several states that have issued firearm- specific surveys and compiled them for your use. You can check out the link in the show notes to learn more.

Finally, if you want all the latest public health news in your inbox each and every week, sign up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly newsletter. That way you'll never miss a development. Use the link in the show notes to sign up today.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Summer Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.