Public Policy Meeting Summary PO
THIS PAPER SHOULD BE BASED ON A PUBLIC MEETING “Health Experts Testify on COVID-19 Impact on Children” HERE IS THE LINK
https://www.c-span.org/video/?514779-1/health-experts-testify-covid-19-impact-childrenPublic Policy Meeting Assignment
Submit a 3-4 page summary paper on the public policy meeting ( mentioned above). Include headings in your paper that address these components:
The purpose of the meeting, key participants, key agenda items, and meeting logistics
Background information and a description about the committee
One specific topic that was discussed at the meeting and an explanation of the committee process
An analysis of the key stakeholder positions related to the topic discussed
Key interactions that occurred at the meeting
Outcomes of the meeting including the specific topic focus
Current APA Style, proper grammar, and references as appropriate
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE !!
Solution
Public Policy Meeting
The purpose of the public policy meeting was to try and understand the impact of covid-19 on children with the meeting considering many issues, including masking, social isolation, obesity, and depression which are some of the effects of Covid19 on children (House.gov, 2020). The key agenda of the meeting was to determine how Covid19 affects children and how various arms of the government can be involved in mitigating such effects. In the meeting, the members of the house energy and Commerce subcommittee, therefore, considered the input of various health experts. The public policy meeting was held in the Rayburn House office building in Congress, with many participants joining remotely through various teleconferencing devices (House.gov, 2020). The key participants in the meeting, therefore, included house representatives and health experts from various healthcare facilities and non-governmental organizations.
Background Information and a Description about the Committee
The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee is led by the Democratic Party and is responsible for various issues, including consumer protection, telecommunications, environmental quality, food and drug safety, public health and research, energy policy, foreign and interstate commerce (House.gov, 2020). The committee is currently chaired by Ms. DeGette. For the highlighted public policy meeting, the main focus of the subcommittee was on public health issues. In the public policy meeting, the subcommittee put to task various health experts to try and understand the impact that Covid-19 was having on children(C-SPAN, 2021).
One Specific Topic that was discussed at the Meeting and an Explanation of the Committee Process
One of the specific topics that were addressed in the public policy meeting was the impact of covid-19 on children, both direct and indirect. The committee process of addressing various issues included consideration of opening statement various members of the committee, including the chair of the subcommittee, ranking member of the subcommittee, the full committee chair, and the full committee ranking member(C-SPAN, 2021). The committee then welcomed the various witnesses to testify on the direct and indirect impact of covid-19 on children with the various witnesses including the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a pediatrician at the Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital, American Psychological Association CEO, and the founder of a non-governmental organization called Vaxteen (C-SPAN, 2021).
An Analysis of the Key Stakeholder Positions Related to the Topic Discussed
According to the house energy and Commerce subcommittee chairperson, the main goal of the subcommittee was to curb the spread of Covid 19 and to eventually bring the Covid 19 pandemic to an end. According to the chair of the committee, Ms. DeGette, the main goal of the public policy meeting was to involve various stakeholders and, more specifically, healthcare practitioners working with children to clearly understand the impact of covid-19 on children and how various stakeholders could continue to enhance the health of children during the Covid 19 pandemic(C-SPAN, 2021). On the other hand, Mr. Griffith, a ranking member in the subcommittee, highlighted the increase in cases of Covid 19 among children and the need to understand the causes of the increasing prevalence of Covid 19 in children. Mr. Griffiths also called for a holistic approach in assessing the impact of covid-19 on children by considering not only the health effects of Covid 19 but also the impact that the isolation that the pandemic had caused on the mental health of children, which has contributed to increased levels of anxiety depression obesity and eating disorders among children(C-SPAN, 2021). Mr. Griffiths also explored the impact of Covid 19 on the increasing cases of abuse and neglect among children, especially since the pandemic caused the closure of schools where teachers and educators in general play a significant role in reporting any cases of abuse and neglect among children.
On the other hand, representative Pallone highlighted that the lack of vaccines that were targeted to children below 12 years was a significant contributor to the rising cases of Covid-19 among children. Representative Pallone highlighted that a speedy approval of Covid 19 vaccines for children below 12 years would go a long way in reducing the cases of Covid 19 in such populations(C-SPAN, 2021).
On the other hand, Dr. Beers, the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, highlighted that Covid 19 has had a significant impact on children and has resulted in an estimated 5.5 million cases among children, with over 21,000 children being hospitalized and at least 480 children dying across the US because of Covid 19. Dr. Beers also highlighted that African-American and Latino children were disproportionately affected by Covid. According to Dr. Beers, the best approach to preventing the spread of Covid-19 and the negative effects of the disease would be to promote a higher uptake of vaccines among teenagers and also encourage higher uptake of vaccines among children once such vaccines are approved by the FDA(C-SPAN, 2021).
On the other hand, DR. Rush, the president Of Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital, highlighted that covid-19 had a significant impact on children, especially those who come from low socioeconomic families. Children from such families were more likely to lack health insurance and lack access to healthcare services, and also be involved in lesser physical activity. All these combined factors result in negative health outcomes among children and specifically those from low socioeconomic families(C-SPAN, 2021).
On the other hand, the CEO of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Evans, highlighted that covid-19 had a significant negative effect on the mental health of children and contributed to increased cases of anxiety, depression, and also an increased rate of attempted suicide among children. This was therefore caused by the social isolation, disruptive schedules, and disrupted economic activities of families during the Covid-19 pandemic(C-SPAN, 2021).
Key Interactions that Occurred at the Meeting
The key interactions that occurred in the meeting included the house representative receiving views from the health experts on how to effectively mitigate the effects of Covid -19 among children and which would be the best approach to implement such mitigation measures.
Outcomes of the Meeting
The outcomes of the meetings included a recommendation by the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee for the adoption of various strategies to promote vaccination among teenagers so as to ensure that children return to their normal life as soon as possible and therefore reduce the various negative mental health issues associated with the disruptions caused by the Covid 19. The subcommittee also proposed that prompt approval of vaccination among children less than 12 years old would go a long way in preventing an increase in Covid-19 cases and also help children to return to their normal lives and avoid the negative mental health issues caused by Covid-19.
References
C-SPAN. (2021, September 22). Health Experts Testify on COVID-19 Impact on Children. C-Span.Org. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.c-span.org:443/errors/403?514779-1/health-experts-testify-covid-19-impact-childrenPublic%20Policy%20Meeting%20Assignment
House.gov. (2020). House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://energycommerce.house.gov/