April 6 to 12 is National Public Health Week, and this year, the importance of public health to our community and nation’s well-being has never been more evident in our lifetime. The New Mexico Public Health Association has been working since its inception over a century ago to strengthen our state’s public health system and to address health equity issues, including racism, poverty and other social determinants of health.
The pandemic will likely follow all-too-familiar lines, with its impact hitting marginalized communities already facing discrimination.
As public health professionals, we are committed to imagining and fighting for that safety net and support. We know that action is needed, and we cannot act alone. The Association will be working with community allies, as the impact of COVID-19 ravages our state, to build a stronger safety net built on equity.
We call on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and our state legislators to:
• Pass emergency paid sick leave;
• Ensure everyone has access to safe quarantine;
• Enact an enforceable moratorium on evictions, foreclosures and termination of public benefits;
• Ensure everyone has safe access to health care, including testing and treatment for COVID-19, without financial barriers;
• Release people from prisons and jails vulnerable to COVID-19 and those who do not pose a physical threat, and release all who are being held in ICE detention centers.
We call on New Mexico’s political leaders to act immediately on these urgent policy recommendations, as people’s health is at stake.
Justin Garoutte
Los Luceros