The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is going all out this April, celebrating not just National Public Health Week but amplifying it into a "30 Days of Public Health" bash to mark National Minority Health Month. In his video message, Governor JB Pritzker urged Illinoisans to "celebrate our public health workers, and to also do their part to make our state the best – and healthiest – it can be," according to the IDPH website.

The health department's month is jam-packed with events designed for citizen engagement and raising awareness about public health's role in keeping Illinois in tip-top shape. Fixtures like the daily audio series "Public Health History Minute" and the weekly podcast "This is Public Health" are part of the efforts, with today's podcast launch featuring IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. Topics will cover the vision for a healthy Illinois and the ongoing fight against disparities and inequities in the field.

Highlighting the month is the 2024 Illinois Infectious Disease Conference in Bloomington themed "Emerging Stronger," which will be held on April 23 & 24. The line-up touts influential speakers, including Dr. Katelyn Jetelina of "Your Local Epidemiologist" fame and Heather Simpson, formerly known as the "Ex Anti-Vax Mom," who'll dissect anti-vaccine propaganda. The conference is a mix of in-person (though registration is now closed) and virtual experiences.

As part of the broader observance of National Minority Health Month, with this year's theme focusing on cultural, community, and partnership-driven improvements to health outcomes, IDPH steps up its game. "Please engage with us on our website and social media channels and listen to our brand-new podcasts," Dr. Vohra said in a statement on the IDPH's website. "Our goal is to share broadly all we do in public health." This comes against the backdrop of persistent health disparities with diseases like diabetes, cancer, and COVID-19 affecting racial and ethnic minority populations more severely in Illinois.

Other significant events include Black Maternal Health Week 2024, with the theme "Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!" which falls in April too. From trying to grapple with high infant mortality rates to battling infectious diseases, the IDPH frames April as a month of action, education, and remembrance, with public history featuring prominently via their daily audio series available on the department's social channels.