Public health professionals regularly engage in critical law-related functions — from identifying and designing policy options to evaluating the effects of legal interventions. Schools and programs of public health (SPPH) therefore have an obligation to ensure that their graduates have a foundational understanding of public health law. In a new article in Health Affairs Forefront, the authors draw on research showing a significant education gap in public health law and offer a path toward mainstreaming law in public health education.
While COVID-19 raised awareness of the importance of law, it has always been a critical tool for advancing public health. The authors state that “it is essential that students gain an understanding of how to harness [law], determine when it might be a barrier, and collaborate with legal practitioners to advance public health goals.” Yet a report from ChangeLab Solutions (developed in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) finds that only 36% of accredited SPPH have a course that teaches public health law concepts at a broad level, and only 17% offer a course dedicated to public health law.
"The need for legal training in public health has never been greater. Law is essential to advancing equity, the health of populations, and our public health system’s revitalization, modernization, maintenance, and governance."
Given the backlash against public health after the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors posit that “the need for legal training in public health has never been greater. Law is essential to advancing equity, the health of populations, and our public health system’s revitalization, modernization, maintenance, and governance.“ The article offers steps to help make public health law a core requirement in SPPH. Mainstreaming law in public health education will provide students and practitioners with critical tools to help address the drivers of health inequities.
4/12/2024