Three ways governments encourage breastfeeding at work

The pressure is on for the federal government to spend tax money more wisely. Evidence-based policy making is gaining in popularity as a way for the government to spend tax money wisely. While not quite as flashy or exciting as past ways, this has a proven track record of positive impact.

A number of towns across northern New England struggled with furry invaders ripping into trash bins and dumpsters, which not only scattered litter and left a big mess, but increased the risk of dangerous encounters between humans and bears. When educational initiatives and voluntary compliance proved ineffective, Lincoln passed an ordinance requiring residents and businesses to secure their garbage - or face a fine. The bylaws have proven to be the most effective method for deterring the hungry forest critters.

To resolve road construction communications with frustrated drivers, the New Orleans government developed RoadWork NOLA - an app that showed planned road construction. Unfortunately, no one was using it. Instead of giving up on their idea of a solution, they decided to embark on a plan to make it better through project iteration and human-centered design.

Premature birth is the leading cause infant mortality in Kenya, but skin-to-skin care for premature babies is shown to increase positive health outcomes—outperforming incubator care. It's called Kangaroo Mother Care, and in a country where understaffed hospitals mean that mothers don't always have access to care, this method saves lives. Save the Children is teaching this method in 21 Kenyan counties and it has already saved thousands of lives.

As states continue to tackle a nationwide opioid crisis, one tactic that is being tried is making treatments of overdoses more accessible. By installing boxes containing the overdose reversal drug naloxone in public places, the state of Maine hopes to not only save lives, but also decrease stigma and increase communication.

In 2008, Vancouver’s mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson said he would transform the city to be the world’s greenest by 2020. One decade later, steps toward decreasing greenhouse gas emissions have been made, but the 2020 prospect seems much farther ahead. While the city has run into obstacles, the Canadian city is moving forward to achieve its next goal: for buildings to produce more energy than they use.

The local primary health center in Tayi, a new community in Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger state, has helped normalize the discussion of family planning which includes topics such as primary health care delivery and contraception. The center provides on-site educational opportunities but has also partnered with religious leaders to especially help the conversation reach men.

In Colombia, there are about 50,000 waste pickers, they collect and sort through trash to findrecyclabless to make a living. Their livelihood was threatened in the 1990s after Colombia adopted neoliberal policies that privatized trash collection. However, in 2016 the government officially recognized wastepickers as recycling service providers under a decree. That same year, the government introduced a "second payment," that supplement the income of waste pickers. Coupled, these two policies have improved the livelihood of wastepickers.

Boulder made building accessory dwelling units (ADUs) easier by loosening regulations so that more can be built. ADUs, which can be attached to or behind a main house, address issues of affordable housing and housing availability by providing smaller units with everything someone needs, including a kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping quarters. ADUs tap into existing utility lines, and the smaller spaces are more energy efficient, which means that they are cheaper for tenants and more eco-friendly. Other cities, seeing the affordable housing and environmental benefits, have jumped on the ADU bandwagon.

Rootead is a mind-and-body-focused nonprofit that opened the Obodo Perinatal Easy Access Clinic which aims to prioritize the safety of the pregnant and parenting, with a goal of decreasing infant and mother mortality rates that are disproportionately higher for Black women and babies.