STOP. GUN. VIOLENCE.
Our mission is to be the inclusive voice for Public Health, to proactively advocate for policies that reduce health disparities and empower all people to achieve their optimal health, and to advance the practice of public health in Ohio.
A Message from our President
Tunu Kinebrew
OPHA President
As I reflect on 2022, we are at the mid-year point. School is out for summer break across Ohio the summer holidays have us getting outside spending time with family, friends and loved ones. As we are making new memories so much continues to plague our world and our communities: war, gun violence, recession, gas prices, and racism to name a few. These changes in the environment are impacting all of us, but especially our most vulnerable communities.
Yet I am still thankful for some of the partnerships/coalitions OPHA and its membership are joining forces with. We are using our collective voices to educate on the importance of health and equity in policy and decision-making. Our membership is speaking up against gun violence and racism. Stopping gun violence and increasing equity could be a key to better health outcomes for all populations across Ohio.
As OPHA continues to evolve, we strive to be the inclusive voice of public health in Ohio. During the Ohio Public Health Combined Conference, we were reminded by Dr. G. Rumay Alexander that “hope is not a strategy.” We must turn our mission for justice and equity into an actionable reality with the tools we know to use. And when our tools and actions don’t work, we must ask for direction and partnership from our most vulnerable populations to turn action into outcomes.
Action against gun violence, racism and moving toward equity will create better health outcomes for Ohioans. This year, let us commit ourselves to the mission of OPHA. We ask for your time and expertise as we continue to advocate and educate for better health and a brighter future.
The places we live, learn, work and play affect our health and yet they are far too often over looked. This is why considering health and equity in all policies, at every level, is so important. Unfortunately, Ohio consistently falls in the bottom quartile in most national health rankings and this trend continues despite efforts to improve health status. It is imperative to look at the inequitable environmental and socioeconomic factors that may contribute to Ohio’s poor health outcomes.
The Health and Equity in All Policies (HEiAP) initiative provides state and local officials with an opportunity to apply a health and equity lens at the early and conceptual stages of policy development. This assessment tool is intended to inform policymakers of any potential negative health and equity impacts, prior to making any final decisions, and is designed to complement existing legislative and administrative processes.
OPHA Updating Climate Report
Ohio Public Health Resiliency Coalition is in the process of updating the 2017 report on public health impacts of climate change and climate-related weather events in Ohio communities. Potential public health-related impacts associated with climate change include: extreme weather events; decline in air quality; increased production of pollens; heat stroke and heat-related illnesses; altered environmental … Continue reading
Ohio Journal of Public Health
The recent edition of the The Ohio Journal of Public Health is filled with interesting research briefs and articles. Topics include The High Cost of Opiods in Pregnancy, Effects of Regional Income, Race, and Educational Level on Incidence of Diabetes and Heat Disease in Ohio, and Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults in Ohio, to name just a few. Check out the publication here.
Continuing our Work: Dental Health Access
The COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that our healthcare system is not equitable, including access to oral health care and dental services. Dental providers are not distributed equitably across all population groups and geographic areas. Persons of color are underrepresented among dental providers, creating issues of trust for those seeking care. Those living in rural communities often travel long distances to find a dentist. Language and other cultural barriers exist for a growing number of immigrants… Continue reading
