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Developing strategic plans for population health and public health practice is particularly important in situations of scarce resources. This article notes that current planning efforts often rely on single metrics like cost-effectiveness and lack transparency and stakeholder input. It highlights the usefulness of multi-criteria decision-making tools that incorporate multiple stakeholder views and criteria. The authors suggest that institutions of higher education can help improve population and public health practice by teaching students about modern strategic planning tools that incorporate multiple factors and promote transparency and clarity in decision-making.

“In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Indigenous population, known as Māori, carries a disproportionate burden of disease compared to the settler population. The Treaty of Waitangi, a national treaty negotiated between Māori and the British Crown, guarantees Māori sovereignty, protects their interests, and promotes their well-being. It is considered central to ethical public health and health promotion practices in the country but its application is variable. The article underscores the significance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge and leadership into public health curricula to address health inequities and decolonize the field. It calls for a shift towards prioritizing Indigenous perspectives, values, and frameworks, and fostering meaningful relationships between communities, educators, and Indigenous peoples.
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COVID-19 caused significant disruptions to routine vaccination efforts worldwide. Several factors contributed to these disruptions, including reduced healthcare access, fear of infection, and diversion of healthcare resources towards COVID-19 response. These led to a decline in immunization rates, leaving populations vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases. The article emphasizes the importance of addressing these collateral impacts and implementing strategies to mitigate the negative consequences. It suggests various approaches such as ensuring vaccine supply chains, enhancing public trust in vaccines, and implementing catch-up vaccination campaigns. The authors stress the need for collaborative efforts between public health agencies, healthcare providers, and communities to restore and maintain routine immunization services amidst the ongoing pandemic.

With the end of the national public health emergency approaching on May 11, 2023, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has committed to continuing to provide free vaccinations, tests, and treatments as long as supplies last. They will be prioritizing uninsured or underinsured people with these resources and services in order to promote equity and health access regardless of insurance status.

This case study of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System highlights effective practices for increasing vaccine uptake among vulnerable populations of veterans. This included targeting outreach to people based on race/ethnicity and the presence of risk factors for severe COVID-19 disease. The VA Puget Sound Health Care System used multiple modalities of communications and collaborated with community leaders in order to increase vaccine rates among people in underserved areas.

This review of state data collection and reporting practices during the COVID-19 pandemic found inconsistencies and gaps in data collected by race and ethnicity. Improved standardization across the U.S.–which may come in the form of a federally-operated centralized database–would address some of the concerns in data representation of all Americans.

This article is an overall summary of long COVID, its risk factors, and ways to address it. Many of the risk factors identified are clinical, yet some management options include self-treatment.

In 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health piloted an innovative and barrier-reducing test-to-treat method. This approach used digital test results to submit a positive COVID-19 result and provided COVID-19 patients with Paxlovid. By adopting this rapid-response digital technology approach, public health practitioners were able to improve treatment access and reduce health disparities.

This study assesses the usefulness in death data from a medical examiner’s office in strategic planning during a pandemic. There was found to be a statistically significant correlation between daily reported death numbers from a medical examiner’s office and hospital admissions. As such, death data from a medical examiner’s office can be assumed to be a reliable source and used when developing strategic plans.

This report offers recommendations for the care of pregnant women and children following the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyzes health impacts on pregnant women and young children, including those related to health care and childcare, using a socioecological approach. Recommendations include expanding reimbursement and telemedicine access, making childcare accessible and affordable, and integrating equity considerations into data collection and research.