New York City: What should we know about public health in your neighborhood?

Two people holding umbrellas outside on a hot and sunny day with a large brick apartment in the background.
People use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun in New York City, where extreme heat is a public health issue. (Adam Gray / Getty Images)

Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeat’s free New York City newsletter here.

At Healthbeat, we want to report on the public health issues that matter most to New Yorkers.

Public health is the science of preventing disease and improving life at the population level. That means using evidence-based strategies to address problems in your neighborhood, your borough, and your city.

These issues are threaded through our lives — even though we might not always realize it.

How safe is the water that you drink, and the air that you breathe? Is there lead or mold in your apartment? Has there been a disease outbreak at your workplace or in your child’s school? Can you get health care when you need it? Are you worried about climate change?

We’re eager to get into issues like these — and others we don’t know about. Tell us: What should we know about public health in your community?

Fill out the survey below to share your story with our newsroom. A Healthbeat journalist may reach out to learn more.

The Latest

The program, which began a decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, provides medical services to impacted individuals and studies 9/11-related illness.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the amount of respiratory illness causing people to seek health care is low nationwide and in Georgia.

In a Q&A, one of the project’s principal investigators describes the 'devastating' termination of grant funding for research that was nearing completion.

In the state, Black women are at least three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes. The county's initiatives aimed at reducing racial disparities work but depend on federal dollars — money that might not flow amid budget cuts and a push to end DEI programs.

The federal government is pursuing potentially steeper cuts to health agencies, with a proposed $40 billion reduction for the budget of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The terminations have spared no part of the country, politically or geographically. Of the organizations that had grants cut in the first month, about 40% are in states President Donald Trump won in November.