$1.5 million in funding allocated to Southern Colorado counties to combat opioid crisis
The funds, we're told, resulted from lawsuits filed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against pharmaceutical companies for their alleged role in the opioid epidemic. A collaborative body was subsequently created to allocate these funds to six counties across the Southern Coloradan region, including Montrose and Delta.
'Our region has been deeply impacted by the opioid epidemic,' says Delta County Public Health Director Jacqueline Davis. 'While overdose deaths do fluctuate, we continue to see high rates of opioid misuse within our communities. Access to treatment has been pretty limited. And the stigma continues to be a barrier for folks who want to come and get help.'
Public health officials tell WesternSlopeNow the funds are to be distributed over the next two years, to be used towards programs providing opioid treatment, education, and prevention services for communities in desperate need. Montrose and Delta Counties, they say, are expected to receive $400,000 in funding.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Fast Company
26 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Why urban designers should think like doctors
What if buildings and neighborhoods were planned with health and climate risks in mind, just like businesses use financial data to guide their decisions? What if public health and real estate weren't at odds, but instead coauthors of a healthier, more equitable urban future? That's the bold premise of Architectural Epidemiology, a new book that offers a radical rethinking of the relationship between place and health. Written by architect and public health expert Adele Houghton and Dr. Carlos Castillo-Salgado, an epidemiologist, the book introduces a place-based framework for aligning real estate investment with public health goals—using the tools of epidemiology to guide design decisions that affect buildings and the way they engage the surrounding city. At its core, architectural epidemiology is not a metaphor. It's a methodology. Diagnosing places like patients Just as a doctor might diagnose a patient based on symptoms and environmental exposures, Houghton and Castillo-Salgado's framework helps designers, developers, and policymakers diagnose the health of a place. The process begins by gathering publicly available health and climate data—rates of asthma, heat exposure, housing-cost burden, chronic illness, and more—and dialing into the specific needs of any real estate project boundary. These place-based insights then inform customized development strategies tailored to local needs. This isn't a one-size-fits-all checklist. It's a locally calibrated, equity-centered approach that asks: What are the most urgent public health and climate concerns in this neighborhood? And how can this project become part of the solution? Two case studies from the book, one in the South Bronx and another in East London, show how this approach plays out in the real world. Toxic infrastructure to health-first housing The South Bronx is one of New York City's most environmentally burdened neighborhoods. Residents face compounding public health concerns, including high rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and pediatric asthma—conditions tied directly to chronic exposure to air pollution, extreme heat, and poor housing conditions. Infrastructure like solid waste transfer stations, natural gas plants, and a daily flow of more than 750 diesel trucks has left a lasting environmental footprint. Three projects demonstrate how health-driven interventions play out in real life. Arbor House, a 124-unit LEED Platinum affordable housing development, took an indoor-focused strategy. With no regulatory leverage to reduce nearby traffic or emissions, the project team instead designed a protective shell: a high-performance building envelope, mechanical exhaust and ventilation systems, low-VOC materials, and a no-smoking policy. These features directly addressed local respiratory and cardiovascular risk data, providing a sanctuary of clean air in a polluted context. The Eltona, another LEED Platinum project by the same developer, built on these strategies but also benefited from its location within the Melrose Commons urban renewal zone. This area, guided by a community-authored plan, introduced pedestrian-prioritized streets and small green spaces to break up heat and pollution hot spots. This sort of coordinated planning can push health equity beyond the building envelope. The Peninsula represents an even bolder intervention: transforming a former juvenile detention center into a mixed-use anchor of community well-being. Once all phases are complete (anticipated in 2026), the project will deliver 740 units of affordable housing, a wellness center, daycare, supermarket, light industrial space, and a workforce development hub—all aligned with the long-standing Hunts Point Vision Plan. Created through a collaborative effort between local government and community groups, the plan calls for cleaner air, economic opportunity, and access to green space without displacing existing residents. This multiscalar transformation wouldn't have been possible without partnership. The development team committed to providing both affordable and middle-income housing, as well as commercial and industrial spaces aligned with local needs. The local government played a convening role, confronting outdated zoning and building codes to enable community-led regeneration. And community groups acted as watchdogs and visionaries—documenting health inequities, advocating for residents' needs, and ensuring decades of disinvestment didn't translate into displacement. From industrial blight to inclusive growth In East London's Hackney borough, Gillett Square shows how long-term, community-led urban design can build resilience without triggering displacement. Residents here also face elevated risks from exposure to traffic-related air pollution, unsafe pedestrian conditions, and mental health stressors, particularly among children and the elderly. Climate concerns such as extreme temperatures compound vulnerability, especially in a borough with high poverty rates and a large renter population. The project began in the 1980s as part of a broader, three-pronged effort to reduce crime, create economic opportunity for women- and minority-owned businesses, and preserve affordability in the face of rapidly rising property values. Organized by Hackney Co-operative Developments, a community interest company, this initiative has grown over 40 years into a model of place-based health equity. Unlike top-down redevelopment, the transformation of Gillett Square unfolded through continuous negotiation among residents, developers, and the local government. A former parking lot became the square itself. Adjacent buildings were renovated to create 30 affordable workspaces and 10 retail units prioritized for local startups and cultural groups. The existing street-facing storefronts remained intact, maintaining the character and economic rhythms of the block. During construction, current tenants were temporarily relocated—but not displaced—a rare feat in most urban redevelopment narratives. The built environment improvements weren't just aesthetic or economic. The renovated Bradbury Works building added insulation, operable windows, and improved ventilation to respond to extreme temperatures and indoor air quality concerns. It was also designed to accommodate a future rooftop solar array. Elsewhere on the square, an old factory became a jazz club. Another was converted into a mixed-use building with social housing and office space. Each adaptive reuse project layered with health-promoting elements such as natural light, passive ventilation, and energy efficiency. Importantly, these design moves responded to both immediate and long-term public health concerns identified in the architectural epidemiology framework: exposure to air pollution, heat vulnerability, mental health stressors, and pedestrian safety risks. The health situation analysis for the neighborhood emphasized the need for strategies that reduced the risk of obesity, mental health issues, and traffic-related injury, many of which were tackled by fine-grained, community-rooted design rather than by sweeping interventions. Gillett Square's evolution also depended on progressive land use policy and community engagement over time. The local government enabled critical rezonings: converting the parking lot into a plaza, allowing mixed-use development, and permitting the installation of small retail kiosks. The development team, operating as a nonprofit social enterprise, prioritized community interests. And community groups, many of which had been active in Hackney for decades, fought to ensure that the square's benefits didn't come at the expense of its existing residents. In a borough where 75% of residents are renters, and poverty rates among children and the elderly are among the highest in the U.K., the stakes of gentrification are high. Gillett Square proves that design can support resilience without fueling displacement—and that longevity, not speed, can be a hallmark of justice-oriented urban development. These case studies show that health equity can be the foundation, not a by-product, of urban development. By aligning investments with public health and climate data, Architectural Epidemiology offers a road map for building places that protect and uplift communities. This framework identifies community needs and guides community residents, developers, and designers to solutions that create value for both stakeholders and shareholders.
Associated Press
5 hours ago
- Associated Press
Takeaways from AP's report on problems in the worldwide campaign to eradicate polio
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — For nearly four decades, the World Health Organization and partners have been trying to rid the world of polio, a paralytic disease that has existed since prehistoric times. While cases have dropped more than 99%, polio remains entrenched in parts of Afghanistanand Pakistan. In its quest to eliminate the virus, WHO and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have been derailed by mismanagement and what insiders describe as blind allegiance to an outdated strategy and a problematic oral vaccine, according to workers, polio experts and internal materials obtained by the Associated Press. Officials tout the successes – 3 billion children vaccinated, an estimated 20 million people who would have been paralyzed spared – while acknowledging challenges in Pakistan and Afghanistan. WHO polio director Dr. Jamal Ahmed defended progress in those two countries, citing workers' tailored response in resistant pockets. Here are some takeaways from AP's report on what's happened in one of the most expensive efforts in all of public health. Documents show major problems on polio vaccination teams Internal WHO reports reviewing polio immunization in Afghanistan and Pakistan over the past decade — given to AP by current and former staffers — show that as early as 2017, local workers were alerting problems to senior managers. The documents flagged multiple cases of falsified vaccination records, health workers being replaced by untrained relatives and workers improperly administering vaccines. On numerous occasions, WHO officials noted, 'vaccinators did not know about vaccine management,' citing failure to keep doses properly cold. They also found sloppy or falsified reporting, with workers noting 'more used vaccine vials than were actually supplied.' According to an August 2017 report from Kandahar, Afghanistan, vaccination teams worked 'in a hurried manner,' reports said, with 'no plan for monitoring.' A team in Nawzad, Afghanistan, covered just half of the intended area in 2017, with 250 households missed entirely. Village elders said no one visited for at least two years. Polio workers say problems have gone unaddressed Health officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan told AP their efforts to vaccinate children are often stymied by cultural barriers, misinformation about the vaccines, and poverty. Sughra Ayaz has traveled door to door in southeastern Pakistan for the past decade, pleading for children to be immunized. Some families demand basics such as food and water instead of vaccines. Others, without citing proof for their beliefs, repeat false rumors and say they think the oral vaccine doses are meant to sterilize their kids. Ayaz said that given the immense pressure for the campaign to succeed, some managers have instructed workers to falsely mark children as immunized 'In many places, our work is not done with honesty,' she said. Some scientists blame the oral vaccine Polio eradication demands perfection — zero polio cases and immunizing more than 95% of children. But some scientists and former WHO staffers say the campaign's efforts are far from perfect, blaming in particular the oral vaccine. It's safe and effective, but in very rare instances, the live virus in the oral vaccine can paralyze a child. In even rarer cases, the virus can mutate into a form capable of starting outbreaks among unimmunized people where vaccination rates are low. Except for Afghanistan and Pakistan, most polio cases worldwide are linked to the vaccine; several hundred cases have been reported annually since 2021, with at least 98 this year. Most public health experts agree the oral vaccine should be pulled as soon as possible. But they acknowledge there isn't enough injectable vaccine — which uses no live virus and doesn't come with the risks of the oral vaccine — to eliminate polio alone. The injectable vaccine is more expensive and requires more training to administer. More than two dozen current and former senior polio officials told AP the agencies involved haven't been willing to even consider revising their strategy to account for campaign problems. Last year, former WHO scientist Dr. T. Jacob John twice emailed WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calling for a 'major course correction.' John wrote that 'WHO is persisting with polio control and creating polio with one hand and attempting to control it by the other.' Ahmed told AP the oral vaccine is a 'core pillar' of eradication strategy and that 'almost every country that is polio-free today used (it) to achieve that milestone.' Critics say there's no accountability Dr. Tom Frieden, who sits on an independent board reviewing polio eradication, said he and colleagues have urged WHO and partners to adapt to obstacles in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since 2011, the board has issued regular reports about program failures, but had little impact. 'There's no management,' he said. With an annual budget of about $1 billion, polio eradication is among the most expensive initiatives in public health. WHO officials have privately admitted that sustaining funding will be difficult without signs of progress. Roland Sutter, who previously headed polio research at WHO, said donors had spent more than $1 billion in Pakistan trying to get rid of polio in the last five years — and made little progress. 'If this was a private company, we would demand results,' he said. Ahmed pointed to the program's many successes. 'Let's not overdramatize the challenges, because that leads to children getting paralyzed,' he said. Mistrust of the vaccine persists Vaccine workers and health officials say it's hard for campaign leadership to grasp the difficulties in the field. Door-to-door efforts are stymied by cultural barriers, unfounded stories about vaccines, and the region's poverty and transience. The campaign is up against a wave of misinformation, including that the vaccine is made from pig urine or will make children reach puberty early. Some blame an anti-vaccine sentiment growing in the U.S. and other countries that have largely funded eradication efforts. In a mountainous region of southeastern Afghanistan where most people survive by growing wheat and raising cows and chickens, many are wary of the Western-led initiative. A mother of five said she'd prefer that her children be vaccinated against polio, but her husband and other male relatives have instructed their families to reject it, fearing it will compromise their children's fertility. 'If I allow it,' the woman said, declining to be named over fears of family retribution, 'I will be beaten and thrown out.' _____ Cheng reported from London. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
CBS News
11 hours ago
- CBS News
First human cases of West Nile virus detected in Denver, Jefferson County this season
The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment announced Monday that the city's first human case of West Nile virus this season has been confirmed. Officials in Jefferson County have also confirmed their first human cases of the virus, with three people infected. There have been over one dozen cases of West Nile in Colorado this year, which has resulted in one death. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, West Nile virus has been found in mosquitoes in eight of the 16 counties that have tested mosquitoes this year, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties. In Fort Collins, the West Nile infection rate in mosquitoes is currently 11 times higher than the historical average, and four times higher than it was in 2023. The DDPHE is urging residents to take precautions to avoid being bitten by an infected mosquito. Eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed can help prevent an increase in mosquitoes. Officials said it's important to empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths and trash containers once a week. Cleaning out street and home gutters that may hold water can also help control the mosquito population. Wearing repellents with DEET, limiting outdoor activity at dawn and dusk and wearing long sleeves and pants outside can all help reduce the risk of being bitten. The city also advised residents to make sure windows and doors have intact screens to keep mosquitoes out and to avoid watering cement or streets, which can create puddles. Those infected with West Nile virus may feel fatigued and experience fever, headaches, body aches and rashes or swollen lymph nodes. Symptoms usually appear within 3-14 days. Officials warned that, while anyone can be infected, those over 50 or with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing serious symptoms. Authorities urged anyone experiencing symptoms to consult their healthcare provider immediately.
