Recognizing the increased demand for public health law skills within the public health workforce, ChangeLab Solutions, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted a pilot program to increase knowledge of law among public health students. In partnership with a team of curriculum consultants, ChangeLab Solutions developed and piloted a curriculum across eight public health programs that consisted of six modules which focused on defining public health law and explaining its role in shaping health outcomes and inequities. Faculty members that piloted the modules found students had an increased knowledge of public health law concepts after completing the modules. Faculty members also experienced several barriers that might hinder effective delivery of the curriculum. Integration of public health law concepts into public health coursework within SPPH is one method of increasing students’ preparedness and capacity to use legal tools in addressing health outcomes and inequities.

The ageing population is anticipated to encounter several challenges related to sustainability. While policies such as ageing in place can benefit older adults in terms of familiarity and independence, these policies can also lead to increased social isolation. To facilitate ageing in the right place, it is crucial to understand how the design of environments promotes social sustainability. This article presents a scoping review of empirical research focused on the characteristics of housing and surrounding environments that support social integration, cohesion and participation of older adults. The search strategy was conducted in five databases, resulting in 20,477 articles. After screening 7,550 titles and abstracts based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 19 articles were selected. The findings of these articles are presented across three themes: (1) housing environments, (2) environments beyond the home and (3) the social environment. Although there is no one-size-fits-all housing model for older adults, the authors suggest that ageing in place policies should be reconceptualized as ageing in ‘places’ and ‘spaces’, emphasizing the diversity of social needs of older adults. Understanding the environmental characteristics, the role of accessible and safe environments beyond the home, and how people and culture support a sense of belonging provides a policy direction for how to design socially sustainable environments for older adults in the future.

New Zealand and Australian governments rely heavily on voluntary industry initiatives to improve population nutrition, such as voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling (Health Star Rating [HSR]), industry-led food advertising standards, and optional food reformulation programmes. Research in both countries has shown that food companies vary considerably in their policies and practices on nutrition(1). We aimed to determine if a tailored nutrition support programme for food companies improved their nutrition policies and practices compared with control companies who were not offered the programme. REFORM was a 24-month, two-country, cluster-randomised controlled trial. 132 major packaged food/drink manufacturers (n=96) and fast-food companies (n=36) were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to receive a 12-month tailored support programme or to the control group (no intervention). The intervention group was offered a programme designed and delivered by public health academics comprising regular meetings, tailored company reports, and recommendations and resources to improve product composition (e.g., reducing nutrients of concern through reformulation), nutrition labelling (e.g., adoption of HSR labels), marketing to children (reducing the exposure of children to unhealthy products and brands) and improved nutrition policy and corporate sustainability reporting. The primary outcome was the nutrient profile (measured using HSR) of company food and drink products at 24 months. Secondary outcomes were the nutrient content (energy, sodium, total sugar, and saturated fat) of company products, display of HSR labels on packaged products, company nutrition-related policies and commitments, and engagement with the intervention. Eighty-eight eligible intervention companies (9,235 products at baseline) were invited to participate, of whom 21 accepted and were enrolled in the REFORM programme (delivered between September 2021 and December 2022). Forty-four companies (3,551 products at baseline) were randomised to the control arm. At 24 months, the model-adjusted mean HSR of intervention company products was 2.58 compared to 2.68 for control companies, with no significant difference between groups (mean difference -0.10, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.21, p-value 0.53). A per protocol analysis of intervention companies who enrolled in the programme compared to control companies with no major protocol violation also found no significant difference (2.93 vs 2.64, mean difference 0.29, 95% CI -0.13 to 0.72, p-value 0.18). We found no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in any secondary outcome, except in total sugar (g/100g) where the sugar content of intervention company products was higher than that of control companies (12.32 vs 6.98, mean difference 5.34, 95% CI 1.73 to 8.96, p-value 0.004). The per-protocol analysis for sugar did not show a significant difference (10.47 vs 7.44, mean difference 3.03, 95% CI -0.48 to 6.53, p-value 0.09).In conclusion, a 12-month tailored nutrition support for food companies did not improve the nutrient profile of company products.

Compensation schemes are certainly not a new phenomenon in England and Wales, and they are increasingly being used, and called for, to compensate victims in the field of occupational and public health. Despite their long existence, compensation schemes have always been thought to develop on ad hoc basis, without any real discernible logic behind them. This paper suggests that, contrary to this idea, compensation schemes emerging in the field of occupational and public health are generally following an identifiable, if covert, pattern that is deeply rooted in their relationship with the tort system. This relationship, the paper contends, is crucial not only to explain the creation and operation of compensation schemes but also to shed some light on the place and limits of the tort system in this legal system. More than that, this paper demonstrates that the relationship between these two sources of compensation could be the key to offer the beginning of a categorisation of compensation schemes that could help identify which schemes are in need of reform.

After dispensing major precedents affecting the public’s health in each of its prior three terms, the 2024-2025 term of the US Supreme Court was arguably less impactful amid several unanimous decisions preserving existing jurisprudence (at least in part). However, this is an understatement. While the Court issued key decisions arguably favorable to communal health this prior year it also denied minors access to medical procedures sought by their doctors, diminished diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in employment, allowed states to deny health providers access to Medicaid because they also provided abortions, disallowed rural hospitals from collecting specific costs for treating low-income patients, and provided a “script” of sorts for executive control of federal health advisory committees.

Measles (rubeola) caused by measles virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted via respiratory droplets or can spread via sneezing or coughing of an infected person. In January 2025, two cases of measles associated with international travel seen in unvaccinated individuals of Harris County were reported by the Houston Health Department. This disease which was once declared eradicated from United States (US) in the year 2000, unfortunately has affected a total of 607 cases since January 2025, across the US, with highest number of cases recorded in Texas. Majority of the cases are witnessed in the paediatric population, especially the ones who are unvaccinated or have an uncertain vaccination history. Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy is an important barrier in achieving measles eradication, and it is more imperative than ever to address this issue in a timely manner. There is an urgent need of virus containment measures to be taken by public health authorities to curb its spread, specifically by reinforcing the importance and safety of vaccinations, debunking myths and educating parents that the recommended two doses of vaccination not only serve as a safety net for their child but also for the community as a whole.

Harm reduction is one of the most controversial and widely discussed approaches in public health and social policy, addressing a broad range of pressing societal issues, including drug addiction, sex work, alcohol and tobacco use, and homelessness. Surprisingly, however, harm reduction has received very little philosophical scrutiny. In this article, I aim to fill this gap. First, I provide a systematic analysis of the core features and normative commitments of harm reduction. Second, I propose a novel, relational egalitarian justification for harm reduction. I argue that the provision of harm reduction services is not solely or primarily a matter of mitigating the negative consequences associated with high-risk behaviours. Rather, most fundamentally, it is the appropriate response to the status of vulnerable individuals as equal members of society.

Our daily lives are shaped by the digital platforms we engage with, presenting both challenges and opportunities in the pursuit of health and social well-being. Despite extensive public efforts to increase physical activity, sedentary lifestyles and car-dependence persist; often exacerbated by digital apps functioning at odds with these initiatives. With growing urbanization, walking for transportation becomes a feasible way for many Americans to achieve daily activity goals. This work explores the potential of leveraging nudges within digital apps, specifically Google Maps, to encourage walking. I found that displaying walking directions as the default in Google Maps, instead of driving, and complemented by graphics depicting social norms, significantly increased the hypothetical choice to walk — particularly among less active individuals. This underscores the power of digital environments in shaping our choices and outcomes; and highlights the need for us to critically assess digital app design. I advocate for collaboration between ‘big tech’, policymakers, and the public to create digital tools that balance our immediate convenience with long-term health and environmental sustainability goals. Re-envisioning technology’s role in daily life, we can potentially harness its vast influence to foster choices that contribute to both personal well-being and the collective good.

In March 2024, the East Midlands Health Protection Team was notified of a case of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infection in an elderly care home resident. Twenty-two days later, another case in a resident from the same floor of the care home was notified. In accordance with national guidelines, an outbreak was declared, and a multidisciplinary outbreak control team (OCT) was urgently convened. Screening for GAS throat carriage was undertaken for staff and residents, excluding those receiving end-of-life care. All isolates were strain typed and characterised. Infection prevention and control (IPC) visits were undertaken to provide ongoing support. Screening identified five residents and five staff members positive for GAS. Antibiotic prophylaxis was provided to all staff throughout the setting (n = 74) and all residents on the affected floor (n = 35). Three individuals were positive on repeat screening. All staff and residents screened negative after 4 months and the two clinical cases recovered. Eleven of the 12 GAS isolates were identified as emm 3.93. This outbreak highlighted the importance of rapid screening, possible only through the deployment of a dedicated team, and rescreening post-decolonising treatment, as a means to contain such outbreaks.

Temporal variability and methodological differences in data normalization, among other factors, complicate effective trend analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) wastewater surveillance data and its alignment with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical outcomes. As there is no consensus approach for these analyses yet, this study explored the use of piecewise linear trend analysis (joinpoint regression) to identify significant trends and trend turning points in SARS-CoV-2 RNA wastewater concentrations (normalized and non-normalized) and corresponding COVID-19 case rates in the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area (Nevada, USA) from mid-2020 to April 2023. The analysis period was stratified into three distinct phases based on temporal changes in testing protocols, vaccination availability, SARS-CoV-2 variant prevalence, and public health interventions. While other statistical methodologies may require fewer parameter specifications, joinpoint regression provided an interpretable framework for characterization and comparison of trends and trend turning points, revealing sewershed-specific variations in trend magnitude and timing that also aligned with known variant-driven waves. Week-level trend agreement corroborated previous findings demonstrating a close relationship between SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance data and COVID-19 outcomes. These findings guide future applications of advanced statistical methodologies and support the continued integration of wastewater-based epidemiology as a complementary approach to traditional COVID-19 surveillance systems.