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National Public Health Week, April 1-7:
Improving the health of your community
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[April 03, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- Every day, every
one of us benefits from public health -- whether it's from fluoride
in the water, food inspections at your local restaurant, the
licensed plumber fixing your sink or hundreds of other programs.
Public health touches us all.
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The Illinois Department of Public Health, in conjunction with 96
certified health departments across the state, works every day to
control infectious diseases, ensure food safety, conduct newborn
screenings, provide immunizations, regulate hospitals and nursing
homes, compile birth, death and other statistics, and educate
communities on how to live healthier lives. "National Public
Health Week is an opportunity for you to look around your community
and see how you can make it healthier -- like starting a community
garden, working with local parks and recreational facilities to
increase access to safe places to be physically active, or work with
local authorities to initiate violence prevention efforts," said Dr.
LaMar Hasbrouck, director of the Illinois Department of Public
Health.
Each day you can focus on a different aspect of public health by
identifying some of the problems and learning what you can do to
eliminate them.
See suggestions below.
The Illinois Department of Public Health created the We Choose
Health initiative upon receiving a $25 million Community
Transformation Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. We Choose Health is a multiyear initiative in which the
state and communities are working together to address nutrition and
access to healthier foods; increase physical activity; promote
breastfeeding; reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in multiunit
housing complexes and outdoor places; improve community environments
to increase opportunities for physical activity; and improve the
social and emotional health of students.
[to top of second column] |
For more information on We Choose Health and resources to
increase public health in your community, visit
www.wechoosehealth.illinois.gov.
You can also check with your local health department for upcoming
events or health fairs in your area.
On Wednesday at 1 p.m., Hasbrouck, the state health director,
will attend the World Health Day Community Fair hosted by the
Decatur Health Coalition at Grace United Methodist Church in
Decatur. At 2 p.m., he will attend an open house at the Douglas
County Health Department in Tuscola. On Friday at 1:30 p.m., he will
attend a National Public Health Week event at the Kane County Health
Department in Aurora.
National Public Health Week is a time for you to take charge of
your health and improve the health of your community.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Public Health file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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From the
Illinois Department of Public Health
(Copy)
A Safe and Healthy Home –
April 1
Problem |
What you can do |
Nine out of
every 10 childhood poison exposures happens at home, with
medications being among the top culprits. |
Keep
potentially dangerous household products, such as cleaning
products, cosmetics and prescription medications, locked up
and out of children's reach.
1-800-222-1222 will automatically connect you to your
regional poison control center. |
A lack of
home natural disasters and other emergencies plan. |
Gather the
family together to create an emergency stockpile kit, such
as having a 3-day supply of water, and develop written
evacuation and emergency communication plans. |
Healthy Schools – April 2
Problem |
What you can do |
In 2011,
only 29 percent of high school students surveyed nationwide
took part in the recommended 60 minutes per day of physical
activity and only 31 percent attended a daily PE class. |
Speak up
about the importance of physical education in school.
|
Every day,
nearly 4,000 young people try their first cigarette and
about 1,000 will become daily smokers. |
Volunteer
for school health education efforts that teach kids to say
no to tobacco, drugs and alcohol.
Advocate for
smoke- and tobacco-free policies at schools. |
Healthy Workplace – April 3
Problem |
What you can do |
The cost of
obesity among full-time employees tops $73 billion, which
includes the total value of lost productivity and medical
costs. |
Take simple
steps to create workplace wellness, such as catering
meetings with healthy foods or organizing workplace walking
groups. |
In 2009,
about 572,000 violent crimes, such as rape, robbery and
assault, happened at work. |
Put in place
mechanisms for recognizing and addressing the potential for
workplace violence. |
Safety on the Move – April 4
Problem |
What you can do |
In 2010,
more than 4,200 pedestrians died in traffic crashes and
70,000 were injured.
More than
600 bicyclists died in motor vehicle crashes in 2010 and
52,000 were injured. |
Promote safe
biking and walking to school, such as your local Safe Routes
to School Program.
States with
the highest levels of biking and walking also have the
lowest levels of costly chronic disease, such as high blood
pressure, obesity and diabetes. |
Motor
vehicle-related injuries are the leading cause of death
among U.S. children. |
Use the
proper vehicle restraint systems for your child. Child
safety seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent for
infants and by 54 percent for children ages 1 to 4 years
old. |
Healthy Communities – April
5
Problem |
What you can do |
Despite high
immunization rates in the U.S., about 42,000 adults and 300
children die every year from vaccine-preventable disease. |
Stay up to
date on recommended vaccinations for yourself and your loved
ones. |
Fewer than
15 percent of adults and 10 percent of adolescents eat the
recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables each day. |
Support
local farmers markets and other access points to fresh
fruits and vegetables. It's not only good for your health;
it's good for the local economy too. |
[Copied from
Illinois
Department of Public Health file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
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