Progress in Public Health: The 2023 Highlights

2023 was a difficult year with some major setbacks for public health, but there were also some significant advances. Johns Hopkins reviews public health in 2023 and highlights where we saw progress, fresh ideas and hope.

In 2023, COVID did not take center stage. The Biden administration ended the COVID-19 national emergency in April, and the WHO declared the end of the COVID-19 global health emergency in May. Also, several new products became available to help protect those at highest risk from RSV. The FDA approved a new RSV vaccine for pregnant people and an antibody treatment for babies that could substantially lower the rates of severe RSV infections among children. Plus, a shift from prescription-only to over-the-counter access made several health products much more widely available to those who need them. Read the full list here.