Understanding Public Health Policy and How You Can Influence It

What is Public Health Policy?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, public health policy encompasses laws, regulations, procedures, or administrative actions enacted by the government or other institutions to address and mitigate public health issues.

“Policy guides what we receive as healthcare, with a focus on prevention and education,” says Dr. Gayle Jones, a subject matter expert on public health.

Effective public health policies can help:

• Prevent the spread of diseases
• Protect vulnerable populations
• Create environments that support healthy lifestyles
• Ensure equitable access to medical resources

Public health policy encompasses several critical elements essential for fostering and executing effective public health initiatives. Here’s an overview of what those components are.

Legislation and Regulation

Legislation isn’t just the foundation of public health policy. It also establishes the necessary legal framework that impacts the decision-making around public health initiatives.

This legislative process involves several parties at different levels (e.g., local, state, and federal), including:

• Stakeholders from the community
• Politicians
• Legislators
• Healthcare providers/administrators

For public health professionals, navigating this landscape is crucial to successful public health policy formulation and implementation.

Public Health Programs and Services

Public health policy often comes in the form of various programs and services. Some common examples include vaccination programs, health education campaigns, and community classes on common health issues in that population.

While most communities have public health programs and services, they’re often impacted by the populations they serve.

“If you're looking at the local level, your health department will have policies about how they conduct the services they provide,” Jones says.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

The most well-known aspect of public health policy is the promotion of overall health and disease prevention. These are strategies designed to promote healthy lifestyles and environments, like anti-smoking campaigns, nutritional education programs, and exercise initiatives.

These strategies and policies constantly change in response to emerging health trends, new research findings, and changes in societal behavior.

“You're trying to find an answer to problems that are constantly changing due to the diversity of the populations. While the diversity is beautiful, it is also challenging.”

This dynamic nature ensures public health promotion programs remain relevant and effective in addressing current health challenges.

Policy Analysis and Research

Ideally, public health policy should adapt to accommodate the constant changes in populations and lifestyles. Since the effectiveness of these policies can vary based on demographic and geographic data, policy analysis and research provide necessary insights to help inform, shape, and evaluate public health policies.

This ensures that decisions made in the future are based on evidence, which can enhance their potential to effectively address the unique needs of different populations.

Examples of Public Health Policy

To understand the practical impact of public health policies, it's important to consider their real-world applications and outcomes.

Here are some common examples of public health policy in action.

Vaccination Policies

Vaccination policies play a critical role in public health by mandating immunization against infectious diseases like measles and polio to prevent public outbreaks. Beyond mandates, these policies also guide the development, approval, and distribution of vaccines for emerging health crises—such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This ensures that vaccines are not only effectively developed but also equitably distributed to manage outbreaks and pandemics that could not be preemptively stopped.

Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted during the Obama Administration, has extended affordable health insurance coverage to more of the population. By lowering the cost of health insurance, the ACA has increased access to preventive care services—including screenings for conditions like breast cancer.

Nutrition Labeling Regulations

Nutrition has been a focal point of public health policy—particularly in recent years. These policies often focus on food manufacturing labels, including calories, fats, sugars, and vitamins.

This gives consumers the information needed to make informed choices about their diets and encourages the consumption of more nutritious foods. It also leverages public education campaigns that promote a balanced diet in underserved areas.

“You want to draw people's attention to what they are eating and how it's impacting them,” Jones says.

Environmental Health Regulations

Environmental health is another major factor that’s included in public health since the environment can play a major role in impacting the population’s health.

Some examples include laws aimed at:

• Reducing pollution
• Protecting natural resources
• Preventing diseases caused by environmental factors

Through targeted environmental public health policies, communities can embrace a more holistic view of public health and wellness.

Drug Policy and Regulation

Drug policies balance the many benefits of pharmaceuticals and substances with potential public health hazards. The regulation of the use, sale, and distribution of these drugs is essential for safeguarding community public health.

A notable example of legislative action in this area was during the Trump Administration, which prioritized the fight against opioid and substance abuse with the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act in 2018. This legislation represents a comprehensive approach to addressing the opioid crisis and the significant role of drug policy in today’s top public health initiatives.

How to Influence Public Health Policy

If you’re interested in working in public health policy, it’s important to understand how to positively influence this aspect of public health.

1. Stay Informed

First and foremost, it’s important to stay informed on the latest trends and top challenges in public health policy, including:

• Time: Federal policy-making can be slow due to procedural requirements and the involvement of many stakeholders.
• Funding and resource allocation: Implementing public health policy requires significant resources, making the allocation of these resources a persistent challenge.
• Political and economic influences: The influence of politics is significant due to the fact that public health adheres to the guidance of political figures.
• Public resistance: Public health policy's success hinges on public acceptance and cooperation.
• Health inequities: Health inequities refer to systematic disparities in access to health resources across different populations, which leads to unjust health outcomes.

You can do this by reading articles, watching the news, and regularly checking reputable sources online.

2. Engage with Your Community

Influencing public health policy often starts with grassroots efforts within your own community. So one of the best ways to get involved in this movement is by participating in local health initiatives.

“If you're trying to get involved in policy, then you have to get involved in your community,” Jones says. “You need to be able to communicate what the issues are, and be able to offer potential solutions.”

This can include volunteer opportunities focused on improving community health, such as:

• Local health fairs
• Vaccination drives
• Public health awareness campaigns

Engaging with local health departments or non-profit organizations can further amplify your impact, offering structured ways to become an advocate in public health policy.

3. Communicate with Policymakers

Given the significant influence of legislation and politics on public health, engaging with policymakers can make a huge impact. Writing letters, sending emails, or making phone calls to local and state representatives can help you actively advocate for changes in public health policy.

“If you're trying to influence public health policy, you have to say something,” Jones says. “You have to share your concerns, you have to start talking to your legislators, the people in your community who represent you, the organizations that are involved, and you have to be willing to share your experience.”

4. Use Digital Platforms

Digital platforms, like social media, are great tools for raising awareness and garnering support for public health policy. Leveraging these platforms with accurate information is crucial for keeping communities informed and educated about current public health trends.

“Information has to be reliable and valid,” Jones says. “You cannot, as a public health professional, just start talking about anything you want without having valid resources. However, it is vital that the information that you're sharing is accurate.”

Make an Impact as a Public Health Professional

While anyone can influence public health policy, the best way to make a significant impact is to become a public health professional. In order to do so and work in the public health sector, you’ll need to earn a degree in public health to learn the skills needed to effect lasting change.

Regis College's Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program can help students become leaders in public health policy by helping them dive deeper into the topics they are most passionate about.

“When teaching public health policy, I let the students select what they want to research and discuss because I want them to engage in an area that is interesting to them,” Jones says.

This approach can help shape students into passionate public health advocates, ready to transform the world into a healthier, happier place.