Good health requires a daily commitment! In that spirit, this week, National Public Health Week – April 2-6, 2018 – is a chance to think about how we can help ourselves, families and communities become healthier. “National Public Health Week is a chance for us to highlight all the services available to citizens to improve their mental or physical health, ranging from smoking to addiction to depression to child development and much, much more,” said Burt Wilcke, Vermont Public Health Association board member. Citizens can find these services by checking the websites of their local medical centers and hospitals, Department of Health offices, community health centers, and community coalitions.
There are themes for each day of National Public Health Week.
- Monday, April 2: Behavioral Health: All people deserve affordable access to behavioral health care.
- Tuesday, April 3: Communicable Disease: Investing in disease prevention saves lives and money.
- Wednesday, April 4: Environmental Health: There is no Planet B. We must preserve and protect our planet’s natural resources.
- Thursday, April 5: Injury/Violence Prevention: Communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of injury and violence.
- Friday, April 6: Ensuring the Right to Health: Everyone has the right to live a healthy life free of preventable disease.
The Vermont Public Health Association (VtPHA) is a statewide membership organization that seeks to positively influence the health of all Vermonters and provide an important voice on public health issues at the national, state, and local level. The VtPHA advocates for policies that improve the public’s health, provides a forum for discussion and dissemination of information that concern policy and practice, organizes educational programs, and collaborates with and brings together health professionals, health organizations, and the educational community. CHL’s Executive Director, JoEllen Tarallo, Ed.D., MCHES, FASHA, serves on the Board of Directors. For more information about National Public Health week, go to: https://www.nphw.org/nphw-2018
