The U.S. public health system has, for good reason, been preoccupied with COVID-19 since March 2020. However, COVID-19 is not the only concern–and coping with it has meant shortfalls in addressing other diseases. For example, since 2019, there has been less screening for syphilis and gonorrhea, and infection rates have increased sharply for both. With the worst of the pandemic apparently behind us, it is time to address other risks, such as maternal health and chronic diseases, that have been sidelined for the last three years.
With substantial federal funding available, state governments have an opportunity to reset their approach. Public health is not a matter of chasing the latest disease, but patient, long-term thinking, based on each state’s circumstances. Different states have different challenges, risk profiles, demographics–and often sharply different outcomes.
