Features

George Floyd’s death has been a defining moment in U.S. history. As witnesses to his brutal murder, we have been forever changed by it. And while this verdict is a step toward justice, we know how much more work is ahead.

More than 87,000 Americans died of drug overdoses over the 12-month period ending September 2020, according to provisional data released by the CDC, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a single year in the United States.

At Vital Strategies, we are at a loss for words, worse, we are struggling not to lose hope at what seems to be an interminable loss of Black lives at the hands of police officers, and the too-low level of urgency and too-slow pace for addressing the public health crisis of police violence.

As overdose continues to devastate Michigan communities, Michigan Liberation and Vital Strategies announced the launch of a new project, “Care, Not Criminalization.”

On this World Health Day, let’s seize the opportunity to build health systems that are better, stronger and more equitable. We must leverage public interest and political will to improve public health.