Public health issues such as climate change negatively affect individuals and populations. The implication is that various stakeholders should use strategies that can be used to reduce their impacts for better population outcomes (Evans et al.,2021). Various health issues are located on the American Public Health Association website and contain important information that interested individuals can use to explore, among other things, recent activities regarding such public health issues. Therefore, the purpose of this assignment is to research public health issues related to environmental issues within the U.S. healthcare delivery system and explore its impact on a specific population.
Description of the Public Health Issue
The chosen public health issue is climate change. Climate change entails several aspects, such as exposure to the heatwave and air pollution (“APHA,” 2021). Air pollution is known to reduce air quality, which then leads to various health problems, such as respiratory issues. Various people or populations are affected by this issue. One of them is infants or children whose respiratory system still develops; as such, exposure to polluted air may lead to health complications even in later life. The geriatric population is also more susceptible to respiratory problems resulting from poor air quality or polluted air. This problem majorly occurs at the local level, where particular regions, especially those near industries and traffic congestion, experience increased impacts of air pollution and poor air quality.
How the issue Is Addressed by Current Policies
Air pollution and poor air quality impact people’s lives negatively; hence, various policies have been formulated to help deal with the problem. There are laws found at the federal, state, and local levels. One such law is the Clean Air Act (Curie & Walker, 2019). This is a law administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. This legislation dictates the required standards for national air quality and how to deal with common pollutants and demands that states formulate plans that can be used in achieving the standards. This policy has also put in place various strategies to help regulate emissions from sources such as power plants, industrial facilities, and vehicles.
Proposed Changes to the Existing Policies and Steps Required to Initiate Policy Change
As earlier discussed, the Clean Air Act has been instrumental in restricting emissions from vehicles, industries, and power plants. However, air pollution is still a problem. Therefore, there is a need to make some changes that may make the policy more effective. One of them is the inclusion of clauses that introduce stricter emission standards. For example, stricter emission standards for pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and Sulphur oxides, among others, should be formulated. The Clean Air Act can also be amended so that it can include and address various emerging pollutants like polyfluoroalkyl substances and ensure that more renewable energy sources are used (Gander, 2022). The regulation can also be strengthened by incorporating clauses that support monitoring and data collection more effectively and providing real-time information to regulators, the public, and other stakeholders for swift action. The law should also be amended to introduce stronger intents of regulating emissions from vehicles. As such, provisions should be included to support and enhance the use of electric vehicles and support vehicle manufacturers to make zero-emission vehicles.
Various steps will be required to initiate the proposed policy changes. Since the issue has been identified, other steps that will be followed include developing a policy proposal including the problem, possible solutions, and expected benefits. The next step is identifying and involving the decision-makers and raising public awareness regarding the issue. It is also important to consider lobbying and advocacy as a step since it can help in obtaining the necessary support for the proposed policy changes (Weible, 2023). The other steps include formulation of regulations, introduction of the proposal, and committee review before a vote is taken. The next steps would entail the implementation of the changes.
The Necessary Stakeholders Required to Initiate Policy Change
Achieving a successful policy change requires a timely identification of the necessary stakeholders. Among them are congress members and legislators who usually create and amend laws. Their role will be to propose the bill, allocate funding for the same, and vote. The other stakeholders are regulators and government agencies since they formulate guidelines, standards, and regulations (Weible, 2023). As such, they will help in enforcing changes. Public health officials are also part of t
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