Public health perseverance: Learning from past challenges to inform the future

The field of public health has long faced moments of resistance, partisan pressure and public distrust. Yet throughout history, the field has continued to respond, evolve and adapt.

This webinar will look back at periods when public health experienced significant pushback and explore how leaders and institutions responded at the time. Reflecting on these experiences can illuminate how power, policy and public opinion shape health.

Dr. Aletha Maybank, Senior Public Health Advisor of Mitokhon, and Dr. Sarah Gollust, Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, will bring complementary perspectives to the discussion. Dr. Maybank will explore how structural racism, power and political dynamics have shaped the public health field’s trajectory. She will share examples of how the field of public health has, at times, reinforced harmful narratives and contributed to detrimental policies. Dr. Gollust will focus on the role of media narratives and public trust, connecting historical patterns to how people understand and respond to public health today.

Together, they will reflect on how public health leaders and institutions have previously navigated moments of uncertainty and resistance, and how those lessons can inform current and future efforts to advance health and equity.