Keeping the 'Public' in Public Health |
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Racism is a Public Health Crisis |
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In recognition of 402 years of racism in our country, RWJBarnabas Health and the Rutgers School of Public Health join others around the nation to declare that racism is a public health crisis and that Black Lives Matter. In an effort to ensure a more equitable and just world for Black and brown people, the two organizations developed a call to action in the form of a pledge, which has been adopted by groups that include academia, government, business, and community‐based organizations.
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Shauna Downs, assistant professor in the department of urban-global public health and University of Delaware faculty examine how to ensure that food supply chains are still able to function under environmental shocks and COVID-19, highlighting key areas where future research should be focused. Learn More
A biopsychosocial perspective needs to be adopted in order to address housing instability in sexual and gender minority youth according to a new study lead by Caleb LoSchiavo, doctoral student at the Rutgers School of Public Health. Learn More.
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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very easy to forget that we are still fighting an HIV epidemic. With over 37,000 New Jerseyans living with HIV, and approximately 1,000 or so new infections each year, HIV remains a major public health concern. Perry N. Halkitis, dean, Henry F. Raymond, associate professor in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology, and other HIV/AIDS experts, researchers, and activists draw attention to the on going AIDS epidemic in a recent op-ed. Read NJ.com
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Student Group Spotlight: Black Public Health Student Alliance |
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The Rutgers School of Public Health Black Public Health Student Alliance (BPHSA), which officially launched during the Spring 2021 semester, is a student-led organization whose mission is to create a supportive network and promote academic and professional success for graduate students in public health who self-identify as Black (e.g., African, African-American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino, etc.). BPHSA serves as a safe space for Black public health students to engage and address the impacts and implications of anti-Blackness, discrimination, and other systems of oppression as they relate to public health.
This organization values and prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly in relation to the retention and graduation of Black public health students as they transition into the public health workforce.
The impetus of this organization is to ensure that our Black public health students have the networks of support to ensure that they have the skills, tools, and knowledge necessary to succeed and better serve their communities. The organization intends to demonstrate that allyship is a deliberate action, not just a concept, that is demonstrated through collaboration among students, faculty, staff and others across Rutgers University.
As an organization, BPHSA prioritizes the multi-faceted experiences of Black students, and hope to enrich the Rutgers School of Public Health community through promoting awareness and implications of anti-Blackness, discrimination, and other systems of oppression as they relate to public health, and educating and collaborating with allies. We acknowledge that there is intersectionality among the groups that students identify with, therefore, the BPHSA can serve as a model for the creation of other affinity groups.
Follow the Black Public Health Student Alliance on Instagram @rutgers_BPHSA for more information on the organization and upcoming events! |
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Could COVID-19 Lead To A Spike In Trans Fat Consumption? According to Shauna Downs, assistant professor in the department of urban-global public health, "Although we don’t really know yet whether or not there is an increase in trans fats consumption, we do have some information from other shocks, which could inform what happens regarding trans fats in relation to COVID-19,” she says. " So for example we know from environmental shocks, such as natural disasters or extreme weather events, that post those events, there is a tendency to eat poor quality food, because they tend to be more affordable. We know from data around the world that trans fats containing food tend to be cheaper than their non trans fat containing counterparts.
When will Pro-Athletes Get the COIVD-19 Vaccine?: According to Michael K. Gusmano, professor in the department of health behavior, society, and policy, who understands there is some merit to the notion that athletes can help the community by getting their vaccine publicly, he added, “it can be equally likely to backfire..." Read Boston Globe
Biden’s COVID Plan Is Simple. Trump Could Have Done It and Saved More Than 130,000 Lives: According to according to Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, the Trump administration's "lack of respect for science and the complete disregard of the mitigation strategies to control COVID resulted in unnecessary deaths. It was estimated that if 95 percent of people consistently wore masks, 130,000 lives could be saved between November 2020 and March 2021. Instead, we will be at 500,000 deaths by March." Read Mother Jones.
Debunking COVID-19 Myths: While COVID-19 is clearly much more deadly for older populations, according to Leslie Kantor, professor and chair of the department of urban-global public health, “Younger people are still dying of COVID-19, and the disease can carry consequences beyond just death, including long-term health problems that medicine is only beginning to understand." Read NJ.com
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21PHirst Signature Webinar Series |
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From Exposure to Vaccination: The Role of Structural Racism in COVID-19 Inequities |
As part of our 21PHirst Signature Webinar Series, Thomas LaVeist, Dean and Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Health Equity at the Tulane School of Public Health, explores the social and structural factors driving racial inequities in COVID-19 exposure, outcomes, and vaccine uptake over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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The 21PHirst Signature Webinar Series is supported by GlaxoSmithKline. |
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COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals and communities in a variety of ways, including economic ramifications as many in the LBGTQ community are frontline workers in healthcare, hospitality services, and the retail and delivery industry, lacking opportunities to work remotely.
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We've partnered with Windows of Understanding, a public art project is that transforms “main street” spaces into literal windows of understanding; spaces in which the community can learn about the positive strides being made by local organizations around a wide array of social justice issues.
Working with librarian and artist Megan Lotts, we wanted to draw attention to the importance of equitable and socially just COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
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Join the Office of Global Programs on Feb. 1, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. EST, for an information session on our two potential Summer 2021 courses:
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Migration in the European Context: A broad spectrum of theoretical knowledge on issues related to migrants' health policies in a European context.
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Food and Mediterranean Culture: An analysis of food production and consumption in the Mediterranean region using a food systems approach.
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Check out the Rutgers School of Public Health's events calendar to learn about and/or join various events hosted, co-hosted, or supported by the School. |
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Rutgers School of Public Health |
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683 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732-235-9700
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One Riverfront Plaza, Suite 1020
Newark, NJ 07102
973-972-7212
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Got 60 seconds? Tell us what you’re doing, seeing, or experiencing — and what people should know about the public health response to COVID-19. Your story can inspire and educate others and build support for public health professionals like you. |
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