Cook County Department of Public Health rolls out new graphic novel campaign to raise public awareness

In an effort to boost awareness of the role of public health in creating and maintaining healthy communities, Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) has released a new graphic novel campaign: The Public Health Heroes League.

The department serves around 2.3 million residents in suburban Cook County, but according to Chief Operating Officer Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, much of the public is unaware of the functions and resources the department provides.

“The goal of this was really to help tell our story,” Hasbrouck said. “And especially through a health equity lens, to help folks understand that we have services and programs and initiatives that they can and should avail themselves of.”

Unveiled ahead of National Public Health Week, which runs April 1-7, the Public Health Heroes League is a group of 15 fictional characters created in a vibrant graphic novel style, each representing a typical public health role. In a trio of short animated videos, these characters are depicted tackling a measles outbreak and the illegal sale of nicotine products to minors.

Colorful digital billboards invite visitors on the Public Health Heroes League webpage to learn about suburban Cook County’s foremost public health concerns, the programs and resources that CCDPH offers and the steps that residents and communities can take to prevent and protect against health risks.

While the limited awareness about the role of public health is not a new phenomenon, Hasbrouck said that the COVID-19 pandemic was the “canary in the coal mine” that exposed the issue to greater light. The pandemic highlighted health inequities in suburban Cook County as well public distrust, amplified by a lack of understanding of what a public health department does.

Although the pandemic was the catalyst for the campaign, CCDPH wants to increase awareness about all of the department’s responsibilities, not just how it handles emergencies and outbreaks. The campaign is set to run for about four months on buses and billboards in suburban Cook County, as well as indefinitely on the CCDPH website and on social media.

“It’s really meant to be kind of an evergreen campaign,” Hasbrouck said. “And although this is focused on our health department, this campaign represents three thousand local health departments across the country, because it’s the bread and butter of work that local public health does.”