Our moral obligation to show compassion for migrants | The Healthiest Goldfish

We have a responsibility, informed by history and our common humanity, to support those who migrate in search of a better life.

Last summer, a tractor-trailer was found abandoned in San Antonio, Texas. Inside the truck were migrants from a range of Latin American countries including Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. By the time they were found after being left by smugglers in sweltering heat, 53 had died.

More recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flew two planeloads of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, in a political stunt aimed at criticizing President Biden’s border policies. The purpose of the flights was made clear by DeSantis’ communications director, who said, “States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as 'sanctuary states' and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies.” This action by DeSantis was part of a growing trend of governors of conservative states sending migrants to liberal states, or even to the homes of politicians perceived to support more relaxed border policies. Actions like these are truly appalling.

A surprising, hopeful election | The Healthiest Goldfish

Thoughts on the midterms and, perhaps, the beginning of a return to useful radical politics.

Last week, the country went to the polls to vote in the midterm elections. While the full results are not yet in, and likely will not be for some time, it looks like Republicans may narrowly win the House, with control of the Senate still undecided. These results have implications for a range of key issues, from guns, to climate change, to reproductive rights, to economic inequality, to addressing social and racial injustice. Fundamentally, such issues share a common link: they are all deeply consequential for health.

Read more here.

Debating tradeoffs, sharing ideas | The Healthiest Goldfish

Some thoughts, informed by recent conversations, about the role of public health in the present moment.

Last month, Dr. Sarah Dupont and I published a paper in The New England Journal of Medicine on science, competing values, and tradeoffs in public health decision-making. We looked at these issues through the lens of masking during the COVID-19 pandemic. The piece was animated by a concern for balancing the core values of public health with the pragmatic demands of advising policymakers in a context of incomplete or evolving information. We argued that public health should shift away from the all-or-nothing dynamic that characterized many pandemic-era debates (over masking, lockdowns, school closures, etc.), recognizing that the local context in which decisions are made can involve a level of nuance often lost in the broader public debate. It is up to us to provide data-informed guidance to policymakers as they weigh this nuance and consider the tradeoffs inherent in choices about health policy. In doing so, we should continue to be guided, always, by our core values: the pursuit of healthy populations, with special concern for the marginalized and vulnerable.

Read the full piece here.

Calling out the horrors of mass incarceration | The Healthiest Goldfish

Addressing a uniquely American problem.

The US incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. There are currently two million people in prisons and jails in this country. Yet mass incarceration, for all the lives it touches, does not affect all lives equally. Black men are six times likelier than white men to be incarcerated. Latino men are 2.5 times likelier to be incarcerated than white men. These numbers reflect a system that arguably does not simply punish those who have committed crimes in proportion to their offenses. Rather, it reflects a deeply biased system that has created a crisis in this country.

Read the full piece here.

Not in the name of public health | The Healthiest Goldfish

When the goals of public health are used to justify authoritarian overreach, we have a responsibility as a field to say “No.”

One frequently overheard phrase in our field is “in the name of public health” or some equivalent like “in the interest of public health.” This phrase is often applied to the interventions we promote with an eye towards shaping better health for all. Through the years, we have done much in the name of public health. We have promoted handwashing at a time when the practice was still novel and distrusted. We have argued for better sanitation systems and city design to slow the spread of disease in urban spaces. And we have urged greater focus on engaging with the socioeconomic drivers of health as a means of creating a healthier society and preventing disease from taking hold. The range of this work illustrates the breadth of the initiatives we can pursue in the name of public health.

Read the full article here.

Advancing Health Equity: Learning from Other Countries | The Commonwealth Fund

Area of focus: Advancing Health Equity

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated longstanding racial disparities in health in the United States and highlighted the need to address inequities across a range of health system functions. All countries face their own unique inequities in health status or in the distribution of health care resources among different population groups. We looked at how eight high-income countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom) have sought to change the mindsets of health care leaders and professionals, measure and dismantle racism in care delivery, and promote equitable access to care. The eight countries finance health care very differently than the U.S. and are affected by racism and income inequality in varying ways. Nevertheless, they offer lessons and practical strategies for supporting historically marginalized groups and reducing health inequalities.

Read the full piece here.

The Values That Bind Us | Dean's Note

On the roots of our guiding principles.

The longer I do what I do, the more it seems to me that values are core to sustaining a vibrant, engaged public health community. Public health brings together a diverse coalition of people with different backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives. Values are a unifying thread, helping keep us connected to each other and to our broader mission. At SPH, we often talk about our values, most notably in our values statement:

“We are committed to igniting and sustaining positive change that leads to health and well-being around the world. We strive for a respectful, collaborative, diverse, and inclusive community within our School of Public Health. We aim to promote justice, human rights, and equity within and across our local and global communities.”

This statement was crafted some years ago with input from the whole school community and is informed by the broader values of public health.

Read more here.

High Hopes for a New Academic Year | Dean's Note

A note of welcome, and a challenge, for our school community.

I hope that all members of our community have had a restful, restorative summer. The start of a new academic year is a time of renewal, a chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues, to welcome new students, and to anticipate all we will do in the coming semester. To the new members of our community: welcome. We are so happy that you are joining us at BUSPH. It will be a joy indeed to get to know you during your time here.

We now look ahead, with excitement, to the coming year. It is a time for seizing opportunities, for making new connections, and for redoubling our commitment to the work of building a healthier world.  

Read the full piece here