Advocating for Public Health Authority
Protecting and expanding public health authority can help ensure an equitable, healthy future for all. When equipped with the tools and resources they need, public health officials can enact laws and policies that promote health and address inequities.
Efforts to Strengthen Public Health Authority
Intentional and intersectional advocacy can be achieved through specific bills that directly strengthen authority, increase flexible funding, and call for community engagement. There have been many bright spots in public health legislation, practices, and investments since COVID-19 forced states to re-evaluate their public health landscape.
Law and Policy
In contrast to bills that restricted state or local authority to regulate public health measures, some states introduced bills during or after COVID-19 to support and protect vaccination requirements, mask mandates, closures of schools, businesses, or places of worship, and isolation and quarantine measures. Such bills enhance the independence of public health entities and officials to act quickly during an emergency.
Law and Policy
In contrast to bills that restricted state or local authority to regulate public health measures, some states introduced bills during or after COVID-19 to support and protect vaccination requirements, mask mandates, closures of schools, businesses, or places of worship, and isolation and quarantine measures. Such bills enhance the independence of public health entities and officials to act quickly during an emergency.
Funding and Workforce
For decades Public Health has been underfunded and understaffed. Looking forward, Public Health needs sustained investment for workforce recruitment and retention, technology and data systems for the essential health functions, and long-term reductions in the burden of disease.
Civic Muscle and Belonging
Public health authority is strengthened by meaningful engagement and trust-building with communities.
Taking Action on Key Issues
Attacks on public health authority do not exist in isolation. Rather, they are part of broader social movements that threaten democratic institutions, civil rights, and progress toward health equity and mutual liberation. For example, over the last several years we have witnessed attacks on LGBTQ+ people, transgender rights, and abortion rights. Advocacy on specific issues and policies that safeguard people’s rights and opportunities for well-being is crucial. Such advocacy not only protects individuals but also drives systemic changes on interconnected issues and long-term shifts in power dynamics, culture, and environments that profoundly influence our health.
These issue areas are the focus of recent legislative action and need advocacy now:
LGBTQ+ PEOPLE
LGBTQ+ Health Equity Library
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
Taking Action for Trans Rights: Our Favorite Tools, Resources, and Data
ENVIRONMENTAL &
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Confronting Environmental Racism: Justice at the Intersections of Environment and Race
ABORTION ACCESS
Taking Action for Reproductive Justice: Our Favorite Tools, Resources, and Data
GUN VIOLENCE
Taking Action to End Gun Violence: Our Top Tools, Resources, Stories, and Data
RACIAL JUSTICE
& EQUITY
Trend Bending Policies for Advancing Racial Justice Series
What is advocacy?
Our vision for public health is only achievable when the authority, ability and funding are in place to act for public health, which requires intentional and sustained advocacy. Advocacy is the means by which individuals or groups attempt to bring about social and/or organizational change on behalf of a health goal, program, interest, or population.
Public health advocacy takes many forms, including educating the public and informing elected officials about the importance of an issue, program, or need for funding. Advocacy can also include lobbying, where allowable, which is a strategy to persuade lawmakers to make a particular policy decision.
Advocacy Successes Include:
Seatbelts
Vaccines
Nutrition Labels
Tobacco-Free Zones
Advocacy is an approach by which you can help protect and expand public health authority.
Protecting and expanding public health authority takes widespread collective action. Regardless of who you are or what your role is, you have the potential to make a difference on issues of public health authority. This chapter further explores how advocacy can help to protect and expand public health authority.
Anyone can Advocate!
Anyone can be an advocate for public health. Constituents who call and send emails to their representatives to highlight the importance of public health programs are just as critical as subject matter experts and professional lobbyists. Click a button below to explore how each group can advocate.
GUIDE FOR
State and Regional Affiliates
GUIDE FOR
Students and Young People
GUIDE FOR
Community Residents
Equitable advocacy
Whether advocating for public health authority, the rights of specific priority populations, or policy matters, equity ought to be at the center. Centering the individuals and communities most impacted by issues can bring about policy solutions while aligning and building community.
The 5 W’s of Practicing Equity as a Central Part of Advocacy gives us a framework by which to design and implement equitable advocacy. It helps us to examine who is impacted by an issue, what the impacts are, and why the impacts are occurring. It has us critically assess the involvement of community members in the advocacy efforts and design of policy solutions. The best solutions come from those closest to the issues.
The 5 W’s of Practicing Equity as a Central Part of Advocacy
1. WHO
Who are the communities and individuals that are the most impacted by the issue?
2. WHAT
What are directly impacted communities experiencing and what are they doing about it?
3. WHY
Why are the directly impacted communities bearing the brunt of the health consequences?
4. WHERE
Where are directly and disparately impacted community members in the advocacy structure–are they leading the advocacy efforts?
5. WHEN
When developing strategies to challenge the social and disparate health issues, are individuals that are directly and disparately impacted present and assisting in developing policy solutions?
Credit: Equipped Solutions Consulting Services
Advocacy makes visible what public health does for communities, neighborhoods, health systems, and individuals, further emphasizing the importance of the work. With a public health sector that is sustainably funded and entrusted with the authority and data tools to promote health and prevent disease, communities can thrive and grow.
Reflection Questions
- What is a state level example of how public health authority is being strengthened?
- What is advocacy? Describe two opportunities to advocate for public health authority.
- How do The 5 W’s of Practicing Equity as a Central Part of Advocacy support equitable advocacy approaches?
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This concludes the learning series. Return to previous chapters or return to the start >