McLean County Health Department (MCHD) is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of National Public Health Week (NPHW). Each year the American Public Health Association (APHA) unites communities nationwide to celebrate during the first full week of April, focusing on key public health topics critical to developing the healthiest nation possible, and providing opportunities to advocate for what is most important to each individual.
“The impact public health has had and will have on our lives is remarkable,” said McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight. “But it is often difficult to get a picture of the full impact. It goes way beyond what happens within the walls of your local health department. Public health, as a system, is an invisible force working behind the scenes to protect our safety and well-being, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their best health outcomes.”
Public Health focuses primarily on prevention. Vaccination efforts are among the many public health achievements that have been critical to preventing what were once common diseases, like measles, polio, and smallpox. According to the World Health Organization, before widespread vaccination efforts for measles, worldwide we saw major epidemics every two to three years that caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year.
In the U.S. we rarely see diseases like cholera and typhoid fever now, partly because of public health efforts focused on ensuring proper waste disposal and safe drinking water. Safer workplaces, better sanitation, tobacco control, food safety regulations, control of infectious diseases, improved motor vehicle safety, childhood lead prevention, improved maternal & infant health, and cancer prevention are just a few other examples of successful public health initiatives.
And while Americans are living longer, healthier lives now than 100 years ago, that progress is fragile, as evidenced when we saw the greatest change in life expectancy in the U.S. since World War II during just one year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020).
And health outcomes are not the same for everyone. In the U.S. where diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease continue to be responsible for a significant percentage of premature death, some racial and ethnic minority groups and people with lower socioeconomic status have higher rates of illness and death.
“It’s clear we still have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure all residents can achieve healthy outcomes. The expansion of telehealth services is just one example of how we can make healthcare easily accessible to rural residents, or those with other transportation or mobility issues. We encourage everyone to learn more about public health initiatives and how you can help,” added McKnight.
Here is how this year’s NPHW key topics are addressing some health disparities:
It Starts Here: Your Health is Our Mission
Climate Action Starts Here: Championing Resilience for Health
Health Equity Starts Here: Optimizing Health for All
Advocacy Starts Here: Amplifying Voices for Public Health
The Future of Public Health Starts Here: Strengthening the Public Health Workforce
Other ways to get involved in NPHW:
• Sign up for the Keep It Moving Challenge.
• Become an official NPHW Partner and NPHW Champion.
Click here for more information on National Public Health Week.
Click here for more information on McLean County Health Department services.
Click here to view McLean County Health Department 2024 Annual Report.
