National Public Heath Week is April 6-12, 2015: National Themes

Posted by Emily Glenn on March 31st, 2015 Posted in: Public Health

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During the first full week of April each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week  to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation.  Today’s post includes some planning ideas around APHA’s 2015 themes for you and your organization to focus on public health issues during the week. Next week, we’ll focus on Pacific Northwest events and connections.

Monday, April 6: Raising the Grade.  The health of people United States ranks poorly when compared to other countries, across all ages and socio-economic groups.

Learn about your county’s health indicators at the CDC’s CHSI 2015, an interactive web application that produces health profiles for all 3,143 counties in the United States.

Tuesday, April 7: Starting from Zip. How has the Affordable Care Act implementation impacted disparities at the local, state, or regional levels and what else is needed to achieve health equity across our communities?

The US Department of Health and Human Services recently posted personal accounts of people who gained insurance under the ACA: Celebrating 5 Years: The Personal Stories Behind the Affordable Care Act Numbers

Wednesday, April 8: Building Momentum. Influential people and organizations are helping to build momentum around a higher commitment to our nation’s public health.

Taking steps to address obesity, sixteen of the nation’s leading consumer packaged goods food and beverage manufacturers voluntarily pledged to collectively sell 1 trillion fewer calories. This report discusses consumption and the change for this particular study over a period of five years (2007 to 2012).

Connect with others around public health, virtually, during APHA’s fifth annual NPHW Twitter Chat on April 8 at 11:00-12:00 pm Pacific. Follow  @NPHW to learn more.

Thursday, April 9: Building Broader Connections. A network of partners and connections is needed in their areas to make the U.S. the Healthiest Nation in One Generation.

For example, reducing death and injury attributable to motor vehicles has required an all-hands-on-deck approach. Check out the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration’s campaign to get ‘tweens to buckle up, Never Give Up Until They Buckle Up.

Friday, April 10: Building on 20 Years of Success. 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of APHA coordinating National Public Health Week, and the accomplishments of the public health community over the last two decades are significant, such as a 25-year improvement in the average lifespan for Americans and a 70 percent reduction in HIV/AIDS-related deaths.

 CDC’s Ten Great Public Health Achievements in the 20^th Century was created to remind us of how far we’ve come.

Stay tuned for our next post on National Public Health Week events and connections in the Pacific Northwest.