A closer look at public health and prevention

This fact sheet provides additional information on the public health and prevention metrics included in HPIO’s 2021 Health Value Dashboard™, with a focus on state and local public health. Because most Dashboard data was collected prior to 2020, this fact sheet describes the status of public health in Ohio prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The large number of deaths in 2020 caused by COVID-19 and a new surge in overdose deaths indicate major threats to health that further strained the public health system over the past year.

3 key findings for policymakers

• Strengthening public health and prevention is the most effective way to empower Ohioans to lead healthier lives.
• Ohio invests far less in public health than most other states, resulting in an undersized state and local public health workforce that was strained even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Policymakers have many opportunities to build Ohio’s public health workforce, ensure decision makers have actionable health data and improve access to community-based prevention across the state.

Figure 1. Public health and prevention drive population health