This week marks the 25th annual celebration of National Public Health Week, a celebration that usually passes without much notice.
This year is starkly different. The COVID19 pandemic has put public health in the national spotlight, with many Americans suddenly attuned to the importance of public health in our communities.
Many Arizonans have come to recognize just how essential our public health efforts and public health workers truly are. To quote the White House proclamation:
“Whether it is the scientists and researchers who developed life-saving vaccines in record time; or local leaders who have taken evidence-based action to keep their communities safe; or the staff and volunteers who have worked to slow the spread of the virus through testing, case investigation, and contact tracing; or the doctors, nurses, and clinicians who continue to provide around-the-clock care to those who have fallen ill, dedicated public health professionals on the front lines of our response to COVID-19 deserve our gratitude.”
In Arizona, our county and state health departments worked tirelessly and made many sacrifices to protect our communities, despite years of budget cuts and neglect. There are many unsung heroes toiling away in county buildings in fields like epidemiology and health statistics that until this year were vastly misunderstood and undervalued.
This is an unprecedented time of change, and also an opportunity to finally recognize the importance of a maintaining a robust public health system.
So this year, to mark National Public Health Week, please join us in thanking those public health professionals who work every day – and sometimes put their lives on the line — to ensure our health and safety.
– Pele Peacock Fischer, JD
Board President,
Arizona Public Health Association
