August is the big time for Summer vacations in the United States, however, the impact of COVID-19 has decimated potential for travel. While some people have decided to take a trip, many of us are still home bound to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Despite the limited options for travel, it is still important to take some time off, if possible. You may not be able to go anywhere, but if you are lucky enough to still be employed, taking time off is important for your mental health.
COVID-19 now appears to be spreading uncontrolled through much of the United States. Some of the consequences have been stark with nearly 30 million Americans reported not having enough food to eat last week and the potential for up to 40 million people facing eviction in the coming months. With a haphazard and unclear strategy moving forward, despite pressure from the Federal government to re-open in the Fall, many schools have shifted to virtual learning with limited in-person attendance in some cases.
Suffice to say, the phrase, “The next few weeks will tell us a lot” is just as important and timely now, as it was earlier this year.
COMING UP THIS MONTH
Debut of our weekly interview series starting with members of our PublicHealthMaps Team
NEW Guest bloggers from a variety of fields covering topics on public health, mapping, and everything in between
The kick off of our new blog series highlighting life during COVID-19
Original maps and other great content from our our team!
Before we get into some of our featured content for this month, check out some items of interest while you stay safe at home.
GET OUT AND VOTE…BY MAIL!
With only 92 days until the United States Presidential Election, 21 days until the Republican National Convention, and 41 days until the Democratic National Convention, it is more important than ever to make sure you are registered to vote and that you are aware whether or not you can cast your ballot by mail in the Fall.
The Washington Post: At least 77% of American voters can cast ballots by mail in the fall
34 states and the District of Columbia already allowed anyone to vote absentee. Now, 16 states and the District of Columbia have made a change to allow voting-by-mail.
8 states still require an excuse beyond COVID-19 fears: Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, and Texas.
Read More: At least 77% of American voters can cast ballots by mail in the fall
Get all the information you need on Absentee and Early Voting for your state today: https://www.usa.gov/absentee-voting
EXTREME HEAT
August can be a time of “Extreme Heat”! As such, it is important to stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay informed. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to stay safe this summer and beat the heat!
NEWS
APHA: Coalition focuses on improving Hispanic health during COVID-19
Public health advocates are using a new task force to address the health and well-being of U.S. Hispanics during the COVID-19 outbreak.
SaludAmerica!: As COVID-19 Vaccine Nears, People of Color Face Uncertain Path
A COVID-19 vaccine is a worthy goal, but leaders also must address one sad fact before any treatment is made available — the widespread disparity found among the racial makeup of those who are immunized and those who are not.
Esri: COVID-19: Location Intelligence Guides Adaptaion of Voting Practices
Counties around the country rely on GIS to adapt voting practices to the realities brought on by the pandemic.
de Beaumont Foundation: Research Reveals Effective Ways to Talk About Public Health; New Communications Tools Available
Communicating effectively about public health has never been more important, and the de Beaumont Foundation and Aspen Institute have released a set of tools based on original research about what works and why.
Veteran’s Affairs: William & Mary creates new transition program for veterans
William & Mary is launching a program that will prepare veterans for leadership roles in the civilian world. The school in Williamsburg, Virginia, will also help veterans and their families undergo a healthy change over into civilian life. Student veterans will receive support through a “buddy system” that connects them with peers and mentors who are experienced executives.
American Nurses Association: Keeping Your Cup Full in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond
This unprecedented period in the nation’s history has disrupted nearly every aspect of life, and for health care providers, obligated to care for the most vulnerable, it presents special challenges that not even the well-publicized gratitude and plaudits from strangers can fully ameliorate.
OSGeo: New GRASS GIS website
In occasion of its 37th birthday the GRASS GIS project is proud to present its new website! The site has been redesigned with modern tools to be responsive and also easier to maintain. Content is more discoverable now and easy to browse too.
The Rural Monitor: “It’s on US”: Healthcare’s Unique Position in the Response to Human Trafficking
“This is a social issue in our communities and, as human beings, we have the responsibility to treat human trafficking as the crisis it is and to do our part to tell the story and make a difference,”
American Medical Association: Burnout isn’t due to resiliency deficit. It’s still a system issue
A recent study reinforces that additional solutions—such as those addressing system issues—are needed to reduce physician burnout and promote well-being.
DirectionsMag: Take a Tour: Exploring Geospatial Technology in Museums
Modern museums are places where people meet the world, and where people share the world together. Although we are social distancing, we can still experience the world virtually. When this crisis is over, take time to visit a local museum and see your world in a few hours.
PODCASTS
This Podcast Will Kill You: Episode 54 Wake Up and Smell the Caffeine
We are joined by the one and only Matt Candeias of In Defense of Plants to tackle the world’s most consumed psychoactive drug: caffeine. First we get a taste of the massive history of the most popular caffeine-containing beverages, then we trace what exactly caffeine does in your body after that first scrumptious sip. And finally, we explore what role this compound has for those many, many plants that produce it.
Esri & The Science of Where Podcast: Toward Sustainable Prosperity in Business and Government
Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright describes tools that businesses and governments are adopting to monitor sustainable practices.
NACCHO Podcast: Public Health Law and the Pandemic with Jerry Giuliano
A discussion on the legal protections for health department employees, as well as the legalities of mask mandates. They also discuss the difficulties of contact tracing and the effectiveness of subpoenas.
A VerySpatial Podcast – Episode 646: 15 years! And pop culture.
This week we look back about on our 15 year history and, in celebration of Comic Con week, talk about pop culture.
Check out THE AUGUST 2020 overview of conferences, monthly, weekly, and daily events below.
conferences
August’s conferences cover maternal & child health, using location intelligence for education, domestic HIV/AIDS treatment, US state health policy focusing on COVID-19 and beyond, and preparedness with a focus on addressing systemic vulnerabilities.
Read on for more information!
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Virtual Conference
The virtual meeting includes:· Over 30 workshops featuring a mix of topics and track content.
· Three timely themed live-streamed plenary sessions led by association leadership.
· Over 70 interactive posters.
· Discussion and small-group networking video groups with speakers, AMCHP staff and fellow attendees.
· Ability to interact with and learn more about participating exhibitors.
· Continuing education (CE’s) as planned for the live conference.
· All content will be recorded for access on demand by registered participants after the conference.
ESRI EDUCATION SUMMIT
With so much of education moving online, the 2020 Esri Education Summit, Aug. 6 - 7, is moving online too. We'll highlight the crucial role of spatial thinking and data literacy in understanding recent world events and shaping both short- and long-term responses. We'll also discuss strategies for engaging with remote students, showcase online lessons and resources, and share tips for providing software access in a bring-your-own-device world.
2020 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment
In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care and Treatment (NRWC) is officially going virtual! The conference dates will remain August 11-14, 2020, but the times will be adjusted to accommodate different time zones. Registered participants are still encouraged to attend the full length of the conference, however the virtual platform would allow for more flexibility.
National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 33rd Annual State Health Policy Conference
Our conference, State Health Policy: Flexibility and Resiliency through COVID-19 and Beyond, will for the first time be delivered to your door as a virtual event on Aug. 17-19, 2020. The health and well-being of our community is paramount, and while it may not be safe for us to come together in person, we are unfailing in our commitment to bring the same caliber of content, community, and leadership to you at a time when it is needed more than ever.
2020 Preparedness Summit
The Preparedness Summit, to be held virtually August 25-27, presents an opportunity for us all, in the community, to collectively take a breath from the chaos of COVID-19, and uplift the important work being done to meet the challenges of today and prepare for tomorrow.
As COVID-19 continues to affect all of us working in public health, healthcare and emergency management, it's more important than ever to have an opportunity to explore this year's conference theme, Fixing Our Fault Lines: Addressing Systemic Vulnerabilities.
Monthly
National Immunization Awareness Month
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Communities across the country use the month each year to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases across the lifespan.
NATIonal breastfeeding month
On August 6, 2011, the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) officially declared that August is National Breastfeeding Month. The 2020 National Breastfeeding Month theme is Many Voices United. Now, more than ever, we must come together to identify and implement the policy and systems changes that are needed to ensure that every family that chooses breastfeeding has the support and resources they need to succeed.
Children’s Eye Health/Safety Month
Children are susceptible to a host of vision and eye problems such as injury, infection and increased nearsightedness. In support of Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month in August, the American Academy of Ophthalmology provides information to the public that can help protect and preserve a child’s eye health for life.
National Health Center Week (August 9 – 15) is an annual celebration with the goal of raising awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers over the past five decades.
World Breastfeeding Week
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network of organisations and individuals who believe breastfeeding is the right of all children and mothers and who dedicate themselves to protect, promote and support this right.
Annually, WABA coordinates and organises the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) between Aug 1-7. Since 2016, we have aligned our WBW campaign to United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We call this the WBW-SDGs Campaign.
In order to raise awareness of the needs of these population groups, every 9 August commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982.
There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
World Humanitarian Day
On World Humanitarian Day (WHD) August 19, the world commemorates humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and we honour all aid and health workers who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need.
This year World Humanitarian Day comes as the world continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic over recent months. Aid workers are overcoming unprecedented access hurdles to assist people in humanitarian crises in 54 countries, as well as in a further nine countries which have been catapulted into humanitarian need by the COVID-19 pandemic.
August can be a time of “Extreme Heat”! As such, it is important to stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay informed. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to stay safe this summer and beat the heat!
We would appreciate you following us on social media and checking out our new Instagram page!
Click on the button below to check out our full list of events for August 2020.
COVID-19 is real so please #WearAMask, #WashYourHands (20 seconds…), practice #SocialDistancing, and take some time for yourself.
Stay safe out there and be good to one another!