Introduction
There is no denying that politics affect health, playing a crucial role in shaping health equity. Political engagement for health equity involves collaborative, evidence-based, and non-partisan advocacy to address systemic barriers and advance policies that promote equitable health outcomes. It emphasizes bridging divides, fostering systemic change, and empowering marginalized communities to shape solutions. Political engagement is a significant means of directly influencing policies that affect various aspects of public health. While policy affects many areas of health including mental health, health care affordability and access, housing, and holistic approaches, this blog looks at how political engagement has driven changes in policies related to immigration, vaccines, and gun control. By examining these areas, we can better understand the mechanisms through which advocacy and activism contribute to health equity. Through examining the impact of political engagement on health equity by evaluating policy changes in areas such as immigration, vaccination, and gun control, this article aims to drive action and help readers gain a deeper understanding of the significance of political involvement in health policy. Additionally, it provides practical strategies for actively engaging in advocacy efforts to directly impact policy decisions.
Advocacy’s Impact: Immigration & Activism
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was a result of activism by the immigrant community. Participating in protests despite fear of arrest, imprisonment, and deportation and “coming out” as undocumented were important steps for undocumented people who arrived in the U.S. as children, known as Dreamers, to become visible. This led to the DACA policy change, which created a path to legal work for Dreamers. Increasing their access to health insurance, better care, and improving their social determinants of health. Sit-ins, hunger strikes, marches, and social media campaigns were all crucial to the wins for Dreamers under the Biden Administration.
For DACA recipients, coming out of the shadows has created visibility and momentum for policies which affect them. Petitions, calls, in-person support, and emails to lawmakers created a policy window in 2012 which led to national changes to the Dreamers’ ability to work.
Lessons Learned from the Dreamers
- Be visible. Coming out of the shadows is important for being seen and speaking up.
- Be persistent. It took over 81,000 petitions, 840,000 calls, in-person support, and emails to Senate offices to get the DREAM Act on the national agenda. Outreach to your representatives—and encouraging your neighbors to do the same—is powerful.
Advocacy’s Impact: Common Sense Gun Laws
Gun violence led to the deaths of 48,204 people in the U.S. in 2022. More than half were due to suicide, 4 out of 10 were homicides, and the rest were unintentional injuries, police intervention, or undetermined causes.
Activism by survivors, affected family members, and students living with the risk of gun violence at school has been key to passing legislation to prevent gun violence, such as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was passed in 2022 in response to the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas.
Supporters of gun control have made inroads by creating coalitions of those impacted by gun violence, whether because they survived gun violence or had family members who were affected. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers recently contributed to the passage of gun safety laws in California, including the Hate-Based Gun Violence Prevention Act, the Hate Crimes Reduction and Community Safety Act, and the PEACE Act. These laws identify precursors to hate crimes which affect restraining orders, train law enforcement, and address election intimidation. Everytown for Gun Safety, a coalition of gun safety advocates, note their advocacy and policy victories on their website, demonstrating that there is power in coming together.
Lessons Learned from Policy Changes to Gun Laws
- Come together. Connect survivors of gun violence to each other to improve the visibility of this issue. Mom’s Demand Action, Students Demand Action, and the Survivor Network came together to form Everytown for Gun Safety. There is strength in numbers and banding together with similar organizations.
- Reach out to lawmakers. Lobby to have gun violence prevention laws you care about passed. Reach out to educate officials on the importance of gun violence prevention.
- Inform your community. Raise awareness among community members about the importance of mental health support and safe gun storage.
- Volunteer. Reach out to gun safety organizations and volunteer your time in support of their missions.
- Get involved. Tap into and support established gun policy leaders like Everytown and Giffords.
Advocacy’s Impact: Reproductive Health
There have been numerous wins around the world for reproductive health in 2024 due to advocacy and activism. According to the American Medical Women’s Association, a coalition of healthcare professionals, healthcare decisions “should be made by the patient in consultation with their physician or healthcare practitioner,” and “legal restrictions to abortion care may have serious, life-altering consequences regarding treatment for preeclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, and miscarriage, cancer therapeutics, rheumatologic disorders, fertility treatment, and more.” Maintaining pressure on lawmakers is crucial to keep reproductive healthcare, including STI testing, contraception, abortion care, and other essential services, safe and accessible in the U.S.
Lessons Learned from Support for Reproductive Health
- Donate. Financially supporting organizations on the frontlines of reproductive health can empower them to fight for reproductive rights in U.S. courts and around the world.
- Contact your representatives. Reaching out to your legislators about the importance of reproductive health to women’s health can increase the visibility and perceived importance of reproductive justice.
Advocacy’s Impact: Vaccines
According to the World Health Organization, “immunization currently prevents 3.5 million to 5 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza and measles,” and is one of the reasons life expectancy has been increasing around the world.
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has campaigned for vaccine uptake and access. In their letter to Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, they emphasize the importance of vaccines to Americans’ health. As representatives of 133,500 family physicians, the AAFP is an important partner in ensuring routine vaccinations are available in family practices and at routine appointments. The letter details legislation the AAFP would like to see passed in support of vaccination for people of all ages. They advocate supporting vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without copayments or deductibles. They also explain why they support the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act.
Lessons Learned from AAFP Vaccine Advocacy
- Contact your government representatives. Outreach to government officials from healthcare providers’ organizations carries weight and can be impactful. The AAFP’s letter can serve as a model for these communications.
- Coordinate with colleagues. Organize with other people in similar roles to advocate for issues that matter to you and the health of those you serve.
- Band together to support legislation. Publicly support laws with your community members that are aligned with your mission.
Conclusion
It is essential to recognize that political engagement for policy change is not limited to the areas discussed here. There are substantial inroads to be made in addressing other critical issues such as mental health, health care affordability, disability rights, housing, among others. Holistic approaches stemming from civic engagement initiatives like Purpose Built Community are models that can inspire policy advocacy and promote systemic change. Coordination and outreach with other professionals dedicated to health can support evidence-based policies on a larger scale. While it sometimes feels like we can’t make changes at the national level, getting involved in your community at the municipal or state level can have important impacts on the lives of your family and neighbors. Communities and coalitions can be powerful actors to change systemic conditions towards a more equitable and healthy community. You can apply these advocacy strategies on other issues such as food security and LGBTQ+ health. By getting involved in policymaking at all levels, you can have an impact on decision making which affects health in your community and foster a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to health equity.
Interested in learning more?
- Learn how to involve youth in advocacy and policymaking to boost community health in our blog on youth civic engagement.
- Check out our resources on advocacy, data, and evidence-based policy.
- Stay tuned to our learn page for registration information for our upcoming offerings on political engagement.