April 1–7 is NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK

GOOD HEALTH DOESN’T HAPPEN BY CHANCE. Investing in public health with financial support for programs, research and policy produces long term changes. Public health achievements once unimaginable are now commonplace.

TOP 10 PUBLIC HEALTH ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE 20th CENTURY

1. Vaccination programs resulted in the worldwide eradication of smallpox and elimination of polio in the Americas.
2. Motor vehicle safety including improved vehicles and highways and safer personal behavior (increased use of safety belts and child safety seats and decreased drinking and driving).
3. Safer workplace policies prevent work-related (occupational) health problems, illness and severe or fatal injuries and deaths.
4. Control of infectious diseases as a result of a clean water supply, better sanitation and the discovery of antimicrobial therapy.
5. Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke have resulted from risk factor modification coupled with improved access to early detection and better treatment.
6. Safer and healthier foods have resulted from decreases in microbial contamination from unsafe production and increases in enriched nutritional content.
7. Healthier mothers and babies are a result of better hygiene and nutrition, as well as greater access to health care and antibiotics.
8. Family planning altered the social and economic roles of women, and decreased infant and maternal death by allowing longer intervals between the birth of children.
9. Fluoridation of drinking water safely, inexpensively and effectively prevents tooth decay, regardless of socioeconomic status or access to care.
10. Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard shifted the focus on smoking cessation and reducing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

THINGS YOU CAN DO!

1. Keep vaccinations up-to-date.
2. Walk on community walkways.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
4. Have a plan for emergencies.
5. Get health screenings: early detection and treatment saves lives.
6. Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
7. Keep food safe: when in doubt, throw it out.
8. Don’t smoke or allow smoking in your home.
9. Always wear your seatbelt.
10. Use antibiotics wisely.