Coronavirus shows that responses to complex public health challenges require all hands on deck

The coronavirus pandemic continues to draw an ever-wider range of public policy responses across the United States, from the expansion of unemployment and paid leave benefits to temporary reprieves from student loan payments, evictions, and municipal water service shut-offs. Such actions reflect a recognition that virtually all government branches and agencies can contribute to controlling this deadly disease, softening the blow to Americans’ health and financial well-being, and reducing disparities in health outcomes caused by factors such as race, income, or geography. Policymakers should apply this same approach to other complex public health problems, such as the rise in pregnancy-related deaths among American women. Coordinated strategies that cut across government agencies and societal sectors should be the rule for, not exception to, responding to COVID-19 and other extraordinary threats. (author abstract)