April 4-10 is National Public Health Week. The American Public Health Association has declared this year’s theme to be “Public Health Is Where You Are” to champion the health of ALL Americans.
Here are some interesting public health facts:
- Non-Hispanic Black women are almost four times as likely to die of a pregnancy-related problem as non-Hispanic White women. This disparity may be due to less access to care, lower quality of care, higher prevalence of chronic diseases, structural racism, and implicit biases.
- While in 2015, 62% of the US population were non-Hispanic whites, only 42% of public health workers were people of color. A more diverse public health workforce is needed to address issues of inequity in healthcare.
- Strong community relationships lead to stronger individual health. Collaborative efforts can create more community resilience to address healthcare disparities.
- The World Bank and WHO state that many households are pushed into poverty to meet health expenses. Health is a human right. Help our health systems to become more efficient.
- Over a third of adults with disabilities delayed receiving primary and preventive care due to cost. We need to strengthen the public health infrastructure.
- Climate change impacts health. Unfortunately, geographic areas with more climate vulnerability are often populated by lower-income people of color, exposing them, for instance, to a disproportionate share of toxic air releases.
- Mental illness is one of the most common disability conditions. One in five Americans experiences mental illness each year. Early detection and treatment of mental health problems will improve personal and community health.
How can you get involved? Check out the links in this article to find out actions everyone can take to improve their own and their community’s health
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