Why Is This Important?
Each year new issues emerge which have an impact upon public health. In some cases, these issues are short-lived, impact only a small number of people, or are heavily concentrated in a particular region. Unfortunately, the three emerging issues covered in this section – drug misuse, antibiotics, and COVID-19 – have none of those characteristics and are taking a significant toll upon individuals and societies across the U.S., and in the case of COVID-19, across the entire world.