This issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice focuses on environmental health. Rhoads and co-authors describe evidence-based policy decision making in a healthy homes initiative in Kansas City, Missouri. This urban area experiences substantial racial/ethnic disparities and high levels of residential segregation. Substandard housing has led to a number of health problems including asthma. An economic analysis showed the benefits of an asthma remediation program. As a result of this effort, legislation was enacted to institute a rental home inspection program. This is an outstanding example of a health department employing evidence-produced policy change.

Garrison and Ashley used microdata from the 2011 American Housing Survey and the 2009-2013 American Community Survey to examine pre-1980 households with large areas of deteriorated paint, a predictor of lead dust and risk of lead poisoning. New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania had the highest number of at-risk households. These findings are important to public health and housing policy makers in the identification of high-risk areas for lead poisoning and subsequent remediation.

Azofeifa and Sripipata are authors of an article “Blood Lead Testing Among Medically Underserved and Socially Vulnerable Children in the United States “2012-2017.” They assessed the prevalence and characteristics of children, 12-60 months of age, who received a blood test at Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Centers. Of the 1.1 million children tested in 2014-2015, there was a higher proportion tested at urban centers and where the center was a usual source of care. There was an increase in child enrollment at these centers between 2012 in 2017 and an even greater increase (34%) in the number of children tested. This documents the substantial effort of HRSA centers to provide access to blood lead testing in underserved communities.

Murphy and co-authors write about emerging environmental health concerns and environmental tracking in Colorado. Colorado is experiencing significant challenges because of climate change, population growth, and expanded industrial activity. As a result, local and state public health officials are grappling with these issues with limited resources. The authors interviewed involved professionals from public health, emergency management, forestry ,and transportation. Top environmental concerns were indoor air pollution, outdoor air pollution, and waste management. Extreme weather, including wildfires and oil and gas industry pollution, contributed to the major concerns.

We are highly pleased to publish with our November issue, a supplement Healthy People 2030: Advancing Health, Well-Being and Health Equity for All. Scientific articles trace the evolution of Healthy People initiative since 1980, the measures used, health literacy, law and policy, use by states, health equity and social determinants. The lead editorial by Michael McGinnis, father of Healthy People, is amply titled “A Compass in the Storm.” He credits the staff of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) for their efforts over the last 40 years. Other editorials are authored by Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association and Howard Koh of the Harvard School of Public Health. Commentaries in the issue are authored by Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health, and Brett Giroir, former Assistant Secretary for Health.

Related Posts:

• September 2021: Local Public Health Agencies
• July 2021: The Opioid Epidemic
• May 2021: COVID-19 Policy Implications
• January 2021: COVID-19 and Public Health–Looking Back, Moving Forward