News & Announcements

Environmental Justice Index (EJI) Display Opens at CDC Museum Exhibition: Health is a Human Right: Achieving Health Equity

GRASP's CDC/ATSDR Environmental Justice Index (EJI) will be featured in an upcoming CDC Museum exhibition entitled, Health is a Human Right: Achieving Health Equity. The exhibition will present case studies on how local, state, and federal governments; tribal nations; non-governmental organizations; and activists are creating solutions to achieve health equity in communities across the United States.

Exhibit Runs: November 25, 2024 – August 1, 2025

Learn more about the CDC Museum Health is a Human Right Exhibition

GRASP, in support of partner NCHHSTP, updated AtlasPlus with an annual release of STI and TB infections in the United States, which includes data for 2023. This annual update features detailed measurements on syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia available through interactive maps, charts, and tables.

Release Date: November 15, 2024

Dive into state-level data and discover some county-level insights with AtlasPlus, a valuable resource for understanding and visualizing STD trends in the U.S.

GRASP, in support of partner NCEZID, released updates to the Hantavirus Interactive Dashboard. The user-friendly interface offers the option to view all cases by state from 1993 through 2022 or choose single year data to explore trends by month or cumulative cases. Map, chart, animation, and table tools feature a dynamic experience to explore more characteristics about hantavirus cases and download visualizations and data. Release Date: October 22, 2024

Visit our interactive dashboard to stay informed about the distribution of hantavirus disease in the U.S.

GRASP, in support of partner NCIRD, released updated functionality to handle new flu virus strains for this upcoming flu season. The updates enable users to view data from the previous flu season and the current flu season. As the flu season progresses, the charts will phase out the previous flu season data as more weeks of current season data become available.

Release Date: October 11, 2024.

Explore Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations by Virus Type

Explore Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations by Rates of Influenza Hospitalization from FluView Interactive.

GRASP, in support of NCCDPHP, released a new hotspot analysis feature for the Diabetes Atlas. This new tool allows users to visualize clusters of counties with disproportionately high (hotspot) or low (cold spot) values of diabetes surveillance indicators at the national or state level. The available surveillance indicators include diagnosed diabetes, newly diagnosed diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity.

Release Date: October 7, 2024.
Click the Hotspots Button under the Analysis Tab at the Diabetes National Atlas to explore this powerful tool.

GRASP, in support of partner NCHS, released fetal death data and expanded the data available on infant mortality. The expanded categories highlight more insight into mortality at the earliest stages of life and enable users of the DQS to examine both trends and single year estimates from 1995 to 2021 for fetal mortality and 1983 to 2021 for infant mortality. Users can also examine multiple race and ethnicity categories.

Release Date: September 3, 2024

Explore these key topics and many more with the NCHS Data Query System (DQS)

Association Between Social Vulnerability and Homicide/Suicide Rates - United States 2016 – 2020

Differences in social and environmental factors contribute to disparities in fatal injury rates. GRASP and partners at the NCIPC Division of Injury Prevention collaborated to assess the relationship between social vulnerability and homicide and suicide rates across the United States.

Available online: July 2024

Read the article online at the Stephen P. Thacker CDC Library

CDC/ATSDR SVI Utilization and Implementation Tool (SUIT) – Release

The CDC/ATSDR SVI Utilization and Implementation Tool (SUIT) is a database of scientific journal articles that feature the CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index (CDC/ATSDR SVI). SUIT offers examples of how the CDC/ATSDR SVI is used in research, covering a range of topics that include disaster management, community health, resource allocation, and medical treatment outcomes.

Release Date: June 14, 2024

Apply the SVI to your work using the CDC/ATSDR SVI Suit Resource Database

CDC/ATSDR Heat and Health Index (HHI) – Initial Release

GRASP led partners at the NCEH Climate Program, NCEH Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) released the Heat and Health Index (HHI). The HHI is a national tool that incorporates historical temperature, heat-related illness, and community characteristics data at the ZIP code level to identify areas most likely to experience negative health outcomes from heat. The HHI enables community leaders, planners, and public health professionals to better prepare communities for dangerous heat events.

Release Date: May 31, 2024

Explore the HHI at the NCEH Heat & Health Tracker

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) 2022 – Release

GRASP released the CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022 update in May 2024. The CDC/ATSDR SVI is place-based index and database that enables users to identify and characterize communities experiencing social vulnerability. Access and download the updated data at CDC/ATSDR SVI Data & Documentation.

Release Date: May 2024

Explore the CDC/ATSDR SVI at the SVI Dashboard

GRASP & NCHS Release Initial Version of the NCHS Data Query System (DQS)

GRASP, in support of partner NCHS, released the NCHS Data Query System (DQS) initial release to the public. The NCHS Data Query System (DQS) has thousands of estimates on more than 120 health topics in one easy-to-use tool. This modern approach makes data discovery faster and easier because robust health data are now available in a single repository on NCHS's website.

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Explore the 120 key health topics at the NCHS Data Query System (DQS)

GRASP Provision of Expertise at the ATSDR Public Health Assessor (PHA) Training

GRASP shared expertise and demonstrated to use of the Environmental Justice Index (EJI) and the ATSDR Data Hub at the ATSDR Public Health Assessor Training. Training attendees included ATSDR public health assessors and APPLETREE state partners.

Event: April 22-26, 2024

GRASP Provision of EJI Expertise at 2024 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program (Washington, DC)

GRASP EJI Team Members attended the 2024 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program in Washington D.C. from 4/16-4/18. On 4/17, the team presented "The Environmental Justice Index – How a Cumulative Impacts Mapping Approach is Advancing Environmental Justice and Health Equity". The presentation was attended by approximately 80 people from federal and STLT government, academia, community-based organizations, NGOs, and industry.

Conference: April 16-18, 2024

Learn more about the 2024 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program

GRASP EJI Team Engagement with Health Officials in Nashville, Tennessee

At the request of Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Rachel Levine, the GRASP EJI Team met with Nashville, Tennessee health officials and researchers and delivered a presentation entitled, The Environmental Justice Index: Advancing Environmental Justice and Health Equity Through Data Visualization.

Meeting Date: April 10, 2024

GRASP & NCCDPHP Release the US Diabetes Surveillance System – Disparities Module

GRASP, in support of partner NCCDPHP/Division of Diabetes Translation, released the United States Diabetes Surveillance System's (USDSS) new Disparities Module. The USDSS Disparities Module enables the examination of data on diabetes-related disparities classified by prevalence, incidence, complications, and more. The new module, a key component of the USDSS, offers additional context and identifies opportunities for change and focused intervention.

Release Date: March 29, 2024

Learn more about diabetes-related disparities at the US Diabetes Surveillance System

GRASP Training at WHO Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) GIS Capacity Event, Malawi

GRASP, in collaboration with Global Polio Eradication Initiative Partner, WHO, delivered GIS training and expertise at WHO GIS Capacity Building Training in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Event: March 24 – 29, 2024

CDC/ATSDR Environmental Justice Index (EJI) 2022 – Initial Release

GRASP led a collaborative team including partners at NCEH and HHS to develop and release the Environmental Justice Index (EJI). The EJI is the first national, place-based tool designed to measure the cumulative impacts of environmental burden through the lens of human health and health equity.

Released: May 22, 2022

Explore the Environmental Justice Index (EJI)

Place & Health Conference 2021 – National Conference

GRASP, with support from the CDC/ATSDR Geography & Geospatial Sciences Working Group (GeoSWG), led the organization of the Place & Health 2021 National Conference. The conference, which was a first-ever virtual event held on Nov 16, 2021, attracted 700 attendees (700 attended of 1,401 registered) and featured more than 35 presentations (keynote, panel presentations, afternoon remarks and scientific presentations) and 30 posters highlighting applications of geospatial tools and methods at the intersection of place and health. Dr. Nancy Krieger, Professor of Social Epidemiology at Harvard University, was the Plenary Speaker. Her talk, entitled Embodying Place and the People's Health: Critical Science for Health Justice –An Ecosocial Proposal, emphasized the importance of place on health and explored historic place-based patterns, trends, and policies that affect the health of disadvantaged populations today. Additionally, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, provided opening remarks, and NCEH/ATSDR Director Patrick Breysse, PhD, CIH, welcomed conference participants to the afternoon session and gave a summary of the important place-based environmental work underway at NCEH and ATSDR. Finally, Dr. Christopher Reh provided remarks highlighting the ongoing environmental justice work at ATSDR, which he noted "is the health equity mission at ATSDR." Additionally, an important component of the event was a panel discussion entitled Equity at the Intersection of Place and Health chaired by Dr. Sharunda Buchanan, PhD, MS, Director, Office of Priority Projects, Innovation and Environmental Justice, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Event: November 16, 2021

Check out the Place & Health Conference 2021 Agenda

Place & Health Conference 2018 – National Conference

The Place & Health 2018 Conference, which was held on Oct 16, 2018, attracted over 200 public health scientists and featured more than 40 presentations and 20 posters highlighting applications of geospatial tools and methods at the intersection of place and health. Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, Georges C. Benjamin, MD, was the Plenary Speaker. His talk, entitled Health Is About Place: A Public Health Approach, emphasized the importance of factors such as transportation, climate, clean water, and air quality in influencing one's health status. Additionally, CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, provided opening remarks, and NCEH/ATSDR Director Patrick Breysse, PhD, CIH, welcomed conference participants and gave a brief summary of the important work happening at NCEH and ATSDR.

Event: October 16, 2018