Fighting for the public’s health: challenges and opportunities to reinvigorate public health advocacy

Background Covid-19 shed a painful light on racial health disparities. As health officials asserted their public health authority to stop the pandemic and promote health equity, elected officials moved to limit their ability to do so. Without strong advocacy infrastructure, public health has struggled to defend its legal public health authority, support the workforce, and ensure equitable health outcomes for everyone. Methods Fighting for Public Health, a 2022 Feasibility Study from the Network for Public Health Law, assessed what’s happening in public health advocacy, and what’s needed to strengthen it on state and national levels. With funding from Healthcare Georgia Foundation and Montana Health Care Foundation, study authors conducted deep dives in Georgia and Montana to understand their challenges to public health advocacy. From February to July 2022, study authors conducted 46 interviews with 90 individuals working public health advocacy. Interviews were recorded, and qualitative data were analyzed using immediate inter-rater review of key takeaways, and iterative sensemaking with key thought partners. Results Reflecting key findings, six opportunities for action emerged: 1) Develop and advocate for “pro-public and community health” policies; 2) Cultivate friends of public health at all levels and across aisles; 3) Strengthen and build state-level public health advocacy organizations; 4) Develop and disseminate messages to equip friends of public health; 5) Train the current and future public health workforce to engage in advocacy; and 6) Unlock funding to do this work. Conclusions The Network has begun to put opportunities into action through two key activities: 1) a 50-state scan of public health advocacy capacity and 2) a convening in early 2023 of public health leaders to build consensus on next steps. We will update attendees on these activities and share key learnings on how Georgians can engage in advocacy and collaborations for change – the conference theme