On Wednesday night, Judge Catherine Blake of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled in Baltimore City’s favor in our Teen Pregnancy Prevention suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Judge Blake granted the City’s motion for summary judgment, ruling that the federal government’s decision-making was arbitrary and capricious.

This victory is a victory for the youth of Baltimore City, and for the use of science and evidence in education and health. It means that students in our City will continue to receive evidence-based, science-based teen pregnancy prevention education. It means that we will continue to be able to build capacity for teachers who are specifically trained to teach physiology, STD and HIV prevention, and holistic curricula to empower teens to make the best choices for themselves. It means that we will be able to continue our work in reducing teen birth rates, which fell 61% in Baltimore between 2000 and 2016—and that we will not roll back the gains that we have made.

We in Baltimore City have never been shy about overcoming barriers to do what is right. We are in the midst of the worst opioid epidemic this country has ever seen—but we in Baltimore have convened partners and implemented interventions that are nationally recognized as being innovative and life-saving. On Wednesday, I joined Mayor Catherine Pugh to deliver Modern Healthcare’s pre-conference keynote. I then had the opportunity to bring together a “dream panel” of some incredible partners in the City who are addressing the opioid crisis, from leaders in public safety to the business community. On Thursday, I was honored to speak to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Community leaders like the men of Omega Psi Phi are critical in dispelling myths about addiction, and collectively advocating for evidence-based best practices.

The Health Department and our partners are working hard every day, but we are out of resources. At this rate, we will continue to watch our fellow Baltimoreans die. What we need, urgently, is sustained funding, an amount commensurate with the scope of the disease, directly to areas hardest hit by addiction and overdose. Last week, Representative Elijah Cummings and Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that would create what we so desperately need: a Ryan White program for the opioid epidemic. The bill – the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act (CARE Act) – would direct $100 billion to the opioid epidemic over ten years, including funding for local jurisdictions that the epidemic has hit hardest. We celebrate Senator Warren and Congressman Cummings’ leadership, and we call on their colleagues to support their bill. Local governments can do a lot, but we need the support of our state and federal partners—using evidence and science—to protect the health and well-being of all of our residents.

Leana Wen, M.D., M.Sc.

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