National Public Health Week 2019

National Public Health Week 2019

Today is the first day of National Public health Week (NPHW) 2019. Since 1995 during the first full week of April the American Public Health Association has united communities across the United States to recognize the contributions of public health to society and highlighted issues that are important to improving our nation. The theme for this year’s observation is “Creating the Healthiest Nation: For science. For action. For health.”

During NPHW we pause to reflect on public health. Did you know that 60 percent of Americans live with a preventable chronic disease, and health risks such as alcoholism, obesity and tobacco use are the primary reasons for 7 of every 10 deaths annually in the United States? Another startling reality is that U.S. life expectancy has decreased in recent years and the three-year drop represents the longest sustained decline in expected lifespan since the Great Recession; further, studies consistently show the United States has a lower life expectancy than comparable countries.

Public health professionals help communities prevent, prepare for, withstand and recover from the impact of a full range of health threats, including disease outbreaks such as measles, natural disasters like earthquakes and tornadoes and manmade disasters like terrorist attacks.

This year’s NPHW daily themes are Monday: Healthy Communities, Tuesday: Violence Prevention, Wednesday: Rural Health, Thursday: Technology and Public Health, Friday: Climate Change, and Saturday and Sunday: Global Health. 

Join the City of St. Louis Department of Health in its observance of NPHW by visiting the first floor of the Abrams Building at 1520 Market Street to view a proclamation from Mayor Krewson declaring April 1 – April 7 NPHW in the city. During the week the Health Department will also be inviting city employees and other city residents to join Generation Public Health, and take the pledge to create a healthier America. http://apha.informz.net/apha/pages/GPH_Pledge

For additional information on NPHW visit http://www.nphw.org/nphw-2019 or contact the City of St. Louis Department of Health at (314) 657-1568.