6 Public Health Issues to Know in 2026 + Jobs Handling Them

Key takeaways

• Public health issues to know include the frequency of diseases like cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and cancer.

• Obesity, substance abuse, and mental health and suicide are other current public health issues.

• Roles as a public health educator or analyst, virologist, biostatistician, or epidemiologist can help address today’s public health policy issues.

You can help resolve some public health issues by working directly with the public, working in a lab, or more. Continue reading to learn more about six pressing public health issues in America today, discover common professions working to remedy them, and find suggested online courses to help you explore this vital career further.

If you’re ready to get your start in public health right away, consider enrolling in Johns Hopkins University’s Foundations of Global Health Specialization. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to develop and implement public health programs in various settings in as little as two months.

6 current public health issues examples

The world has no shortage of crucial public health issues worth tackling. Here are six current public health issues in the United States if you’re considering a career.

1. Cardiovascular disease

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease accounted for one in every three deaths in the United States in 2023, making it the leading cause of death and a top public health issue in the country. In total, the CDC estimates that approximately 919,032 people in the United States died from heart disease that year, amounting to approximately one death every 34 seconds [1].

Common causes of heart disease in the US include coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attacks.

2. HIV/AIDS

Despite significant medical and health advances in recent years, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a persistent public health issue in America and worldwide.

HIV attacks white blood cells, leading to a weakened immune system. If left untreated, HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which can have a more severe impact on an individual’s immune system, susceptibility to contracting illnesses, and life expectancy. According to the CDC, an estimated 38,000 people received an HIV diagnosis in 2024 [2].

Although medical professionals can now help patients manage HIV and AIDS with appropriate treatments, their spread continues to be a concern for public health professionals.

3. Obesity

Excessive body weight significantly impacts the overall health of individuals and the general public.

While what constitutes a healthy weight can vary considerably from one person to another, excess weight can open the door to a wide range of health conditions. Obesity, for example, has been tied to potentially life-threatening conditions such as stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer.

Key factors in weight management include nutrition and physical fitness. These can help individuals maintain healthy weights, decreasing their likelihood of developing a life-threatening condition.

4. Substance abuse: Prescription drugs and alcohol

Substance abuse, particularly through the misuse of prescription drugs and excessive alcohol consumption, is a prevalent public health problem in the US and worldwide.

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), approximately 13.8 million Americans misuse prescription drugs over a 12-month period [3]. The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), meanwhile, identified approximately 27.9 million Americans ages 12 and older as having an alcohol use disorder (AUD) [4].

5. Cancer

Cancer, a disease that causes harmful cells to multiply uncontrollably, has become increasingly common. Unfortunately, while various treatments exist for many types of cancer, scientists haven’t found a cure.

After evaluating past data and using statistical analysis, the American Cancer Society anticipates 2.1 million new cancer cases in the US in 2026, projecting 626,000 cancer-related deaths [5]. Unfortunately, the chances of developing cancer keep rising. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, early-onset cancers among people under age 50 have increased by 15 percent in recent decades [6].

6. Mental health and suicide

In addition to having a profound impact on emotional and psychological health, mental health can also impact physical health.

Though mental health disorders can be challenging to see from the outside, a large percentage of the population deals with mental health problems every day. According to a 2025 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), roughly one in five American adults had any mental illness (AMI), defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, in the last year [7]. Additionally, data from the American Psychiatric Association’s 2026 mental health poll suggests an increase in mental health challenges, with 48 percent of American adults reporting feeling more anxious than they did the year before. That figure represents a 5 percent increase from 2025 [8].

Unfortunately, many mental illnesses don’t get treated, which can lead to attendant issues like suicidal thoughts. As the 10th-leading cause of death among Americans, suicide claimed 48,824 lives in 2024 [9].

What are current public health challenges?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change presents one of the greatest challenges to public health. The WHO estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause 250,000 deaths annually as a result of malnutrition, malaria, heat stress, and more [10]. Other current public health issues include COVID-19, mental and physical disability, and environmental health.

Read more: How to Work in Public Health: Resources to Help You Get Started

Public health jobs to consider

The field of public health tackles a host of significant health care challenges. Thankfully, many skilled public health professionals focus on resolving these problems. Whether you enjoy working with people or researching in a lab, public health has something for you.

Some common public health positions you might consider pursuing include:

• Epidemiologist

• Virologist

• Biostatistician

• Public health educator

• Public health analyst

• Social and community services manager

• Public health policymaker

• Public health consultant

Explore resources for a public health career

Subscribe to Career Chat on LinkedIn, where you can stay up-to-date on emerging industry trends. Then, check out these free resources to learn more about a career in public health:

• Read our Career Chat issue: AI in Health Care: Uses, Benefits, and Concerns

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career Is Right for Me Quiz?

• Watch on YouTube: What Can You Do With a Public Health Degree?

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