Health Officers Report Identifies Five Major Challenges Facing US
Public Health
Stating that “Our
nation’s public health capacity is functional, but fragile”, and
“Health threats are increasing, not decreasing”, a report by the
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) has
identified five priority issues facing health departments nationwide.
They are:
1. Addressing the opioid crisis and preventing
substance misuse and addiction. More than 60,000 deaths occurred
in 2016 alone, and that represents more than 100 deaths every day.
According to the report, “we will not treat our way out of this
emergency” and “preventing addiction is the best way to end our
nation’s current epidemic.”
2. Reducing illnesses and deaths from preventable
chronic diseases. According to the report, “for every dollar, the
United States spends 97 cents on healthcare delivery and 3 cents on
prevention and public health.”
3. Preventing infectious disease outbreaks. The
importance of infectious diseases is illustrated by the increases in
rates of sexually transmitted diseases, healthcare associated
infections, and other diseases such as hepatitis C which affects 2-4
million persons.
4. Managing public health emergencies. The report notes that
2017 was the costliest year on record for weather-related disasters,
and there is an ever evolving list of public health threats that must
be addressed to manage the consequences of national emergencies to
help save lives. Funding for preparedness related work has declined
almost one-third since 2002 for these activities.
5. Protecting drinking water from environmental
health threats. This is about maintaining a water supply that is
among the safest in the world. Resources are needed to bolster the
protection of these supplies from threats from multiple sources.
According to Michael Fraser, ASTHO executive director,
“the top five issues identified by state and territorial health
officers represent some of today’s greatest threats to public health
nationwide. However, if we act now, they also present tremendous
opportunities to protect and promote health.”
Invisible Public
Health Benefits
The ASTHO report highlights many public health
activities whose benefits often go unappreciated by Americans because
the targeted diseases are prevented from occurring in the first place.
These “invisible benefits” include those associated with screening all
newborn babies to identify life-threatening genetic illnesses,
immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases, clean water
protecting against water-borne diseases (safe water), prevention of
food-borne illnesses (safe foods), and public health laws such as
those to prevent injuries of many kinds and those which create
smoke-free workplaces.
To access the report, visit:
https://tinyurl.com/ydg3zaxr
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