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COVID-19 and Health Equity

Public Health Funding and Infrastructure

Public health measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic have deepened fractures in the public health infrastructure that were already suffering from a lack of funding to federal, tribal, state, and local health departments. A lack of funding for hospital preparedness has also brought health care systems struggling to meet surge capacity. Certain public health legal emergency measures have highlighted the disparate impacts of the pandemic on people of color and ethnic groups. Effective public health messaging during this public health emergency is vital to discussions acknowledging these disparities. Additional resources are in development. Check back from time-to-time for updates or subscribe to the Network Report e-newsletter for information on the latest Network resources.

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Real-time assistance for questions related to COVID-19 response

The Network can assist local, county, tribal and state health agencies with timely guidance, resources and information critical to key COVID-19 response measures, particularly in the areas of:

  • public health authority and emergency powers,
  • constitutionality of practices,
  • health data privacy,
  • protections for disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals,
  • crisis standards of care, and
  • ethical decision making.


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Eastern Region Office

The Eastern Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Injury Prevention and Safety
»     Environmental Public Health
»     Food Safety


Mid-States Region Office

The Mid-States Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Health Information Data Sharing
»     Public Health Statutes and Regulatory Information


Northern Region Office

The Northern Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Mental Health and Well-Being
»     Rural Health Equity
»     Climate Resilience


Southeastern Region Office

The Southeastern Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Drug Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction
»     Health Reform
»     Maternal and Child Health
»     Public Health Agency Structure, Organization and Accreditation
»     Messaging


Western Region Office

The Western Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Emergency Legal Preparedness and Response
»     Immunization

Legal Research & Assistance

Experienced legal experts are available to answer questions and provide research, analysis and guidance. Let us know what you’re working on and together we can figure out how we can help.

Legal Assistance Library

Explore the Network’s Legal Assistance Library to find answers to commonly asked questions on a variety of public health topics.