554: Ending Structural Racism, New Book on Public Health Strategy

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Thursday, November 30, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

KIMBERLEE WYCHE-ETHERIDGE: 

We really are never going to be able to achieve health equity if we don't address structural racism as a major cause.

JOHNSON: 

Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge talking about ASTHO's updated policy statement on recommendations to eliminate structural racism in public health.

WYCHE-ETHERIDGE: 

It talks about having an initiative to lead internal organizational change efforts that address structural racism, supporting jurisdiction wide efforts to address and eliminate structural racism, and working closely to partner and participate in collaborations that support what's happening at the local, territorial, and state level with initiatives to do the same.

JOHNSON: 

Wyche-Etheridge says the cause is critical because the impacts are real.

WYCHE-ETHERIDGE: 

We know that the research has shown that persistent exposure to the stress and trauma of racial discrimination has resulted in not only premature aging, but poor health outcomes, lower life expectancy, and just an overall decrease in quality of life.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO has released five policy statements on important public health issues. Four are updates to existing policies. One is new. You can read them using the link in the show notes.

JOHNSON: 

Strategic approaches to public health are the subject of a new book edited by two familiar leaders. ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser and de Beaumont Foundation President and CEO Dr. Brian Castrucci have released the volume titled Building Strategic Skills for Better Health.

CASTRUCCI: 

We are scientists. We are, you know, health behavior specialists. We have all of these amazing skills, but are we strategic? We're definitely scientific, but are we strategic?

JOHNSON: 

Castrucci adds the book codifies a new way of thinking about work in public health.

CASTRUCCI: 

We never thought that we were salespeople. We got into this line of work, so we didn't have to sell, but we have to sell public health every minute of every day, and I think that's even more critical post-COVID. And if we're going to have the nation we want, the safety, and security that we need, we need public health to be more effective than it's been. 

JOHNSON: 

You can buy the book now using the link in the show notes.

Also, today, more agencies are thinking about the One Health approach to public health. J.J. Jones with the National Institute for Animal Agriculture says now is the time to recognize that the health of people, animals, and the environment are connected.

J.J. JONES: 

All the research and latest modeling I've seen has demonstrated that whether it's the effects of climate change, whether that's naturally occurring or man-contributed towards or cause, whether it's zoonotic diseases, and the interaction between humans and wildlife or humans and domestic animals, we are going to see an uptick in zoonotic diseases and disease outbreaks.

JOHNSON: 

You can hear more about the One Health concept in a new episode of the Public Health Review podcast available now everywhere you stream audio.

Finally, this morning, learn how to address housing and food insecurity by braiding and layering available funding sources. ASTHO has developed a series of white papers to help you navigate and apply these concepts. You can access them using the link in the show notes.

Before we go, we'd like to remind you to follow this newscast on your podcast player and ASTHO on social media. We are 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.