Preliminary Findings of the Birmingham Policy Surveillance Initiative

Policy surveillance is becoming an increasingly powerful tool in public health to identify policies and programs that influence individual and community health. However, not many systems exist to track or facilitate greater understanding of policies at a city or county level. Furthermore, relatively little is known about which policies are being implemented and how they relate to population health goals. In 2019, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health joined a consortium of universities to specifically track municipal policies in Birmingham, Alabama. Since its inception, the Birmingham Policy Surveillance Initiative has identified 443 policies and program initiatives related to 6 key areas of focus. The purpose of this article is to describe a policy surveillance system in Birmingham, Alabama. Results are intended to raise the profile of policy surveillance and inform policy makers of opportunities and gaps in policies that influence individual and community health.