THE INVISIBLE SHIELD, EPISODE 4


In 2019, the United States was ranked by the Global Health Security Index as the country best
positioned to manage an infectious disease outbreak—less than a year later, the U.S. proved uniquely vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. What happened? Inequality, structural racism, inadequate health care access, insufficient job protections, and a badly neglected public health system all contributed to catastrophic systemic failures. Excess mortality, on the rise before 2020, surged during the pandemic. These so-called “deaths of despair”—often associated with suicide, drug use, and alcohol misuse— represent a social fracturing and a loss of hope across communities. “If anything reminds us that we’re all interconnected, it’s a highly contagious global pandemic,” says one public health official. “We must remember that the health of the least of us drives the health of the rest of us.”

"The table will be set for civil, respectful, and passionate conversation about public health - past, present, and future"  
A one hour film followed by a one hour facilitated discussion. Sponsored by Missoula Public Health

For more information check out www.missoulapublichealth.org