Top 10 public health news stories of 2023
Changes to race, ethnicity data collection will impact health
Proposed changes to how the federal government collects data on race and ethnicity could be a big boost to health equity work, experts say.
Legislators rolling back child labor protections
Child labor violations have been spiking in the U.S. In 2022, minors employed in violation of hazardous work rules went up nearly 100%.
Affirmative action ruling threatens US public health workforce diversity, programming
Ending race-based college admissions will not only affect schools. Diversity in jobs that require higher-level degrees — including medicine and public health — will be also impacted.
State lawmakers leading new charge for single-payer care
Though work at the federal level has mostly stalled in the quest for guaranteed care for all, some state policymakers are refusing to give up.
Medicaid work requirements resurface, threatening health
Despite evidence of the harm they cause, Medicaid work requirements are making a comeback in state legislatures.
Unstable scheduling harmful for worker health: Fair workweek laws gain steam
Unstable and unpredictable work schedules in industries such as retail and food service harm worker health. Some communities are taking action.
Child vaccination rates falter as misinformation, skepticism grow
As more parents choose to reject or delay lifesaving immunizations, pockets of unvaccinated children are making communities increasingly vulnerable to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
As more states legalize cannabis, public health advises on safe use
Health educators find themselves working within a patchwork of confusing state laws that are supposed to regulate cannabis.
Seniors left behind as public edges ‘back to normal’
Older Americans have made up nearly all of the COVID-19 fatalities that continue across the U.S.
Supreme Court shifts could mean bumpy road ahead for public health
The high court’s docket included several cases with far-reaching public health impact, leaving some health advocates wary of what may be ahead.
