Hello fellow public health professionals! Happy National Public Health Week! I personally find it to be a really energizing time of year, and that's for two reasons.
First, this is a week of celebration. Celebration of all of the dedication, work, and innovation that has occurred over years! decades! the century! There are some great advances that have been made in public health, such as increased access to clean water, the eradication of diseases like polio, and the dramatic decrease in cigarette smoking (but don't even get me started about tobacco and vaping). Plus, I know so many smart, hardworking people who deserve a lot recognition for dedicating their lives to improving the health and wellbeing of our country and world. (Kudos to you, friends and colleagues! You inspire me.)
Second, I am energized by National Public Health Week because there is still so much we need to do and, in a lot of ways, our work is cut out for us. I mean, we're aiming for Healthiest Nation 2030. There is so much today, and honestly that makes me feel like 2030 isn't that far away! We're in a period of potentially dramatic change in health and health care policy, and I find it helpful continue focusing on how all policy is health policy. I believe that requires us to do the hard work to understand our challenges and disparities, and to collaborate with each other to figure out what we can do to chip away at them. Because we need to. We all deserve to live healthy lives, where we have access to the information and support we need. Plus, it doesn't make the most sense to make programs and policies without having a good understanding of how people's lives and health are impacted by different systems of oppression.
I chose to work in public health because I am passionate about working with and empowering people, especially when it's areas of health that have been stigmatized, as I feel adolescent sexuality has been. I'm also an optimist, and I believe in the power of community to make necessary, important things happen. I'm not naive though, there are a lot of challenges ahead of us, but I am just as encouraged by the teeny successes I've seen in the classroom as our momentous national changes. So, let's keep working! You all know I will.