Welcome to National Public Health Week
Message originally sent Monday, April 4, 2022
Dear Parkinson School Family:
Just a few weeks ago, I encouraged you to attend Loyola University Chicago’s 2022 Climate Change Conference, a week of events that welcomed scholars and experts from a variety of disciplines to discuss the intersection of climate change, health, and racial justice. It is with the same interdisciplinary spirit that I invite you to celebrate National Public Health Week.
Let’s keep the conversation going...
Like the looming threat of climate change, public health crises impact us not just at the global level, but at the local, community level, too. Over the past two years, the world has grappled with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. As of March 2022, nearly a million people have died from COVID-19 in the United States alone, a figure that is estimated to be three times higher than reported. It has also put into harsh relief issues that society has long ignored: supply chain complexities, inadequate access to health care, and systemic racism.
...and work together...
Through cooperative partnerships across private businesses, academia, governments, and non-profit organizations, we have made strides to address these issues, but more can be done. To make a lasting change and ensure everyone has a chance at a long and healthy life, we need to invest in public health at all levels and across all sectors. We must also tackle the underlying causes of poor health and disease risk, which are rooted in how and where we live, learn, work and play.
...to make the world a healthier place!
As we celebrate National Public Health Week 2022, I invite you to reflect on this year’s theme “Public Health is Where You Are.” For me, the theme resonates our Jesuit ideals and commitment to serve our communities. It calls us to harness our entrepreneurial spirit and find innovative ways to work together, so that we can ALL live healthier, happier lives. Please join me this week in recognizing the importance of public health in our communities.
With thanks,
Dean Elaine