Contagious Conversations: Shining a Light on Public Health Law and Health Equity

What is the connection between law and public health? Why is it important? And how can public health law help shine a light on health equity? Contagious Conversations podcast guest Sarah de Guia, JD, chief executive officer of ChangeLab Solutions, helped us answer these questions in our latest episode.

ChangeLab Solutions is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses the tools of law and policy to advance health equity. Sarah is truly passionate about public health law, and she shares in this episode how she is committed to applying her legal expertise and leadership experience to advancing equitable laws and policies ensuring healthy communities for all. In this podcast episode, we discuss the importance of engaging communities to advance public health goals and policy development, and explore how public health law can facilitate systemic change within governmental public health to help address inequities. Sarah also underscores that we can’t advance the mission of public health without equity.

Sarah also discusses the Lights, Camera, Action National Summit Series convened by public health partners, including the CDC Foundation, to advance recommendations for a modernized U.S. public health system. In the most recent summit, the discussion focused on elevating the connection between law, governance and finance in public health and their impact and potential across and between the different levels of government. In this episode, Sarah discusses the importance of offering tools, strategy and information to policymakers and public health officials to strengthen public health.

I encourage everyone to listen to this episode and learn more about the importance of public health law as an essential tool to advance health equity and ensure healthy communities for all.