This is the year everything changed. A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, made its way to every corner of the planet, bringing an ever-mounting toll of illness and death as it transformed everyday life in ways previously unthinkable. And beginning in May, people in every part of the U.S. — and many parts outside it — donned masks and took to the streets in protest of the systemic racism that allowed the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others before them.

IN LATE DECEMBER of last year, Fielding School epidemiology professor Anne Rimoin was planning one of her regular trips to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

BEFORE THE CURRENT NATIONAL RECKONING with structural racism, Chandra Ford had been making the case that public health professionals and academics must do more to confront an issue that fuels health disparities and acts as a formidable barrier to optimal health.

Whether it’s families sharing a meal at home, friends dining out, or groups marking a joyous occasion, food’s communal role transcends cultures, geography, and generations. Beyond the pleasure it brings, food keeps us alive — but it can also, over time, make us sick. And, while some communities have the wherewithal to reap the social and health rewards of nutritious meals, the reality for others looks much different. More than 38 million people in the U.S. are food insecure. For many more, healthy food is hard to find, or to afford.

SO MANY OF THE BIGGEST PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES of our time involve food — from chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers to the effects of climate change on food production, and the alarming rates of food insecurity. Food is a central part of our daily lives, carrying cultural and social significance — but it’s also what keeps us healthy or, in some cases, makes us sick.

The United States is among the world’s wealthiest countries, and the biggest health care spender, by far — an average of about $11,000 per person annually. But it’s hard to argue that we’re getting our money’s worth. In the 2019 Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, the U.S. ranked 35th. In a nation that devotes approximately 18% of its GDP to health care — other high-income countries average 11.5% — an estimated 27.5 million people in the U.S.

AS THE U.S. GRAPPLES with how to achieve universal access to quality primary health care, a Fielding School faculty member who has studied the experience of Brazil suggests there is much to be learned from Latin America’s largest country.

MUCH OF OUR WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH is devoted to keeping people from getting sick through health promotion and disease prevention strategies. But all of us will, at some point, experience an illness or injury that requires medical attention or hospitalization. In addition, a key element of prevention involves regular visits to a health care provider for important vaccines and disease screenings, monitoring and counseling on risk factors, and keeping chronic conditions under control, to name only a few.