Regional Coordination & Prevention Efforts

Program Description

The coronavirus pandemic is testing our public health infrastructure and overall capacity as a region to respond to crisis. Long before COVID-19, though, Missouri and the St. Louis region were experiencing another public health epidemic – gun violence.

Gun violence -- firearm-related deaths and injuries, including homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings -- is one of the leading causes of death in Missouri and the nation. According to the CDC, Missouri’s gun death rate has been consistently higher than the national average since at least 1999. For decades, federal funding for gun violence research has been virtually non-existent, leaving private organizations, local governments, and nonprofits with the responsibility of research and prevention efforts.

During this webinar, you’ll learn about the latest data and research from Institute for Public Health at Washington University’s Anne Trolard and about cross-sector violence prevention efforts from the St. Louis Area Violence Prevention Commission’s Jessica Meyers. You’ll also hear from Missouri Foundation for Health’s Jessi LaRose and Saint Louis MHB’s Serena Muhammad about the gun violence prevention initiatives their foundations are supporting. Serena will also provide an update on the City of St. Louis’s new Cure Violence program, which is expected to launch this summer.

We’ll conclude by discussing the ways philanthropy can support existing initiatives and engage in emerging violence prevention efforts.

Partnership 

Thank you to Missouri Foundation for Health, Saint Louis MHB, St. Louis Violence Prevention Commission, and Washington University in St. Louis's Institute for Public Health for partnering with us to develop this program.