JACKSON, Mich. — National Public Health Week is celebrated across the nation every year during the first week of April. Public health workers at the Jackson County Health Department and in health departments across the nation work to ensure residents have access to clean water, safe foods, smoke free air, disease preventing vaccines and opportunities for a healthy start in life. In addition to these basic needs, public health workers strive to identify the causes of poor health and disease risk among individuals within our communities, while taking into account the various needs and barriers that prevent individuals from achieving optimal health. National Public Health Week provides a great opportunity to promote and encourage communities to work together and to advocate for positive changes. It will take all of us working together to ensure that everyone to has the opportunity to live their healthiest life.
Each day of National Public Health Week focuses on a different topic or focus area facing the people who live, learn, work, play and worship in our country. Daily themes focus on the unique and pressing issues facing our nation. We encourage you to use these themes to start conversations in your organizations, churches and community and reach out to find ways to work together and improve the health of this county, state, and nation.
MONDAY – Take the time to learn how the places in which we live, learn, work, worship, and play are strongly connected to our health and well-being. We far too often read stories about children being exposed to high levels of lead in their homes and how millions of American are still getting their drinking water through lead pipes. The Jackson County Health Department works hard every day to create a healthier community. Help to keep you and your family healthy by getting your flu shot, getting a check-up every year, choosing healthy foods, and moving your body more.
TUESDAY - Learn about ways to prevent violence in our community. The Jackson County Health Department works closely in the schools to equip youth with education and skills to recognize and avoid violent situations. Our Maternal Infant Health Program works closely with mothers and their babies to educate and promote healthy parenting. Our Get REAL summer program provides at-risk youth with a safe and nurturing environment. Learn of all the different ways you can help to make Jackson a safer community. Reach out to your local county commissioner or city council member to advocate for a safer community.
WEDNESDAY – Learn how the health status of rural communities varies greatly from urban communities. Rural Americans face a greater risk of death from the five leading causes of death- heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke. Rural residents are often more likely to face other issues such as poverty and transportation barriers that negatively impact their health.
THURSDAY – New technologies offer great benefits to public health. Online medical records allow health information to be shared between health departments and local health care systems. GIS mapping allows serious health conditions to be tracked and helps public health officials to see the disparities that exist within a population. Social media has provided a great tool to educate and inform the community of important health issues.
FRIDAY – Climate change can greatly impact public health. Climate change is linked to more frequent and extreme natural disasters; it is expected to negatively impact food security, water, and air quality; and increase the risk of vector-borne disease such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease. Climate change is expected to greatly impact already vulnerable populations such as the elderly, young children, families living in poverty, and people with chronic diseases. The Jackson County Health Department’s Environmental Health Program helps to keep our community safe by monitoring food safety and water quality as well as any vector borne disease such as West Nile Virus.
Please take time to consider the impact that public health has made on your life. We have made progress but we still have work to do. By working together, we can strive to make our community, county, state and nation, the Healthiest Place to live work and play. Let’s change our future together.
Watch for informative posts on Jackson County Health Department Facebook page throughout the week as we highlight our programs and people who work at the Jackson County Health Department. For more information about Jackson County Health Department, please visit our webpage at https://www.co.jackson.mi.us/276/Health-Department [co.jackson.mi.us]. For details about National Public Health Week, please visit, www.nphw.org [nphw.org]
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