WASHINGTON – Today, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems released its recommendations for an equity-centered public health data infrastructure improve public health data and data systems to achieve health equity. Accompanying the release of the report, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced that it will award $50 million in funding to implement the recommendations. Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)’s president & CEO Juliet K. Choi serves as a member of the independent commission.
“I am proud and humbled to work with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and my fellow commissioners on the recommendations to create this necessary report,” said Juliet K. Choi, APIAHF president and CEO. “The Foundation’s decision to draw upon national experts to focus on better data—specifically data disaggregation—is critical for everyone, including governments, companies and community organizations to reduce health disparities and work toward our common goal of health equity.”
“This work is even more urgent, as the global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the gaps in our public health infrastructure and illuminated the ways in which structural racism perpetuates health inequities. People most impacted should play a key role in how data is collected and analyzed to assure that they do not stigmatize people and communities or create false narratives and misinformation. We thank the Foundation for shepherding these efforts and their investment in our data systems. APIAHF will continue to work with our partners, both public and private, to reimagine how data is collected, shared and used.”
Key Recommendations:
- Center health equity and well-being in narrative change: identify and expand stakeholders to build and develop a framework and public health data systems that is equity-based.
- Prioritize equitable governance and community engagement: establish public-private partnerships across governments, technology and philanthropy to support public health data systems to support equity.
- Ensure public health measurement captures and addresses structural racism and other inequities: invest, develop, and collect data that is accurate and community relevant and nationally significant that is inclusive of underrepresented and underserved communities.
The full commission report can be found here. APIAHF’s resources on advancing data equity can be found here.
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The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) influences policy, mobilizes communities and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.