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With recent changes in the federal public health landscape, Colorado has taken steps to engage directly with national and global public health networks. From co-founding the new Governors Public Health Alliance (GPHA) to joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), Colorado state officials are communicating across state and global borders to better monitor and respond to public health challenges.

These common public health definitions were adapted from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.

The concept of social determinants of health originated nearly 200 years ago, when philosopher and businessman Friedrich Engels identified living, working, and environmental conditions as primary causes of morbidity (illness or lack of health caused by disease, disability, or injury) and mortality among the working class in Victorian-era England.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also commonly known as bird flu, is present in Colorado and nationwide. Recently, it has caused outbreaks in poultry and dairy herds, resulting in the largest animal disease outbreak in the state’s history. 

The harmful effects of secondhand smoke and emissions from tobacco, marijuana, and electronic smoking devices continue to be an issue in Colorado. Since 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer.

Federal, state, and local entities work to deliver programs and initiatives to increase food security and accessibility for Coloradans. This issue brief provides an overview of key programs and efforts within the state, including beneficiaries, operations, and funding.

Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who requires assistance to care for themselves.  Care can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family member, volunteer, paid service provider, or in a community-based care setting.  This issue brief provides an overview of state respite care services.

Vaccinations offer protection from common infectious diseases.  The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends specific vaccines for all infants, children, and adults during their lifetime to provide immunity from preventable illness.  A recent analysis estimated that for children born in a single year in the United States, vaccination prevented nearly 20 million cases of disease and over 40,000 deaths.

According to the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC), between 2012 to 2017, the number of inmates who had moderate to severe mental health needs increased by 7 percent.

This issue brief addresses Colorado’s emergency mental health hold procedure, which allows for an individual to be involuntarily held for a 72‑hour period of treatment and evaluation if he or she appears to have a mental illness and, due to the mental illness, appears to be an imminent danger to self or others, or appears to be gravely disabled.  The brief also discusses treatment options following a mental health hold and the newly created Community Transition Specialist Program.   

This issue brief outlines Colorado's efforts to address issues associated with persons with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

Colorado was tied for the fifth highest suicide rate in the nation in 2014, the most recent year of nationally available data.  In 2015, there were 1,093 suicides among Colorado residents, which is the highest number of suicides in the state’s history.  This issue brief outlines legislative actions taken in recent years to address Colorado’s high suicide rate and resources for those in need of assistance and support.