Category: Events

National Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month

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Eating fruits and vegetables has many health benefits. People who eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can help lower their risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Eating healthy can also help prevent obesity and high blood pressure.

However, many people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.

  • Fewer than 1 in 4 adults eat the recommended amount of fruits every day.
  • Fewer than 1 in 7 adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables every day.

The good news? Communities, health professionals, businesses, and families can work together to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Make a difference: Spread the word about tips for healthy eating and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

How can Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month make a difference?

We can use this month to raise awareness about the importance of getting enough fruits and vegetables.

Here are just a few ideas:

  • Spread the word about programs that support local agriculture.
  • Encourage families to make small changes, like keeping fresh fruit or carrot sticks within easy reach.
  • Motivate local restaurants, stores, and other businesses to provide quality foods made with fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month – September

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One in 3 children in the United States are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The good news? Childhood obesity can be prevented. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for kids to eat healthier and get more active.

Make a difference for kids: spread the word about strategies for preventing childhood obesity and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

How can National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month make a difference?

We can all use this month to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and show people how they can take steps toward a solution.

Here are just a few ideas:

  • Encourage families to make small changes, like keeping fresh fruit within reach or going on a family walk after dinner.
  • Motivate teachers and administrators to make schools healthier. Help them provide healthy food options and daily physical activities for students.
  • Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by supporting programs to prevent childhood obesity.

Healthy Aging® Month

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September is Healthy Aging® Month and the time to get started on better health practices.

Think it’s too late to “re-invent” yourself?   Think again. According to Carolyn Worthington, editor-in-chief of Healthy Aging® Magazine and executive director of Healthy Aging®, it’s never too late to find a new career, a new sport, passion or hobby. And, now is the time to travel more than ever.

Worthington is the creator of September is Healthy Aging® Month, an annual health observance designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older. Now in its second decade, Worthington says September is Healthy Aging® Month provides inspiration and practical ideas for adults, ages 45-plus, to improve their physical, mental, social and financial well-being.

The numbers of people over 45 is growing every year. The attention used to be just on the baby boomers. The generation x-ers are elbowing their way in and have many of the same interests as the previous generation – stay active and vibrant as long as possible. There are over 76 million baby boomers today over 50 and the first of the 82.1 million generation x-ers reached that milestone in 2015.

“Use September as the motivation to take stock of where you’ve been, what you really would like to do if money was no object,” says Worthington. “And try it! Who says you have to do something related to what you studied in school? Who says, you can’t start your own home business later in life, test you’re your physical prowess, or do something wildly different from anything you’ve done before? Only that person you see in the mirror!”

Why Healthy Aging Month?

According to Worthington, “We saw a need to draw attention to the myths of aging, to shout out ‘Hey, it’s not too late to take control of your health, it’s never too late to get started on something new.’ Why not think about the positive aspects of aging instead of the stereotypes and the negative aspects?”

September is a perfect time to celebrate Healthy Aging Month since it is time when many people think about getting started on new tasks after the summer. Drawing on the “back to school” urge embedded in everyone from childhood, the observance month’s activities are designed to encourage people to rejuvenate and get going on positive measures that can impact the areas of physical, social, financial and mental wellness.

September is Healthy Aging® Month was first introduced when the baby boomers were about to turn 50. “At that time, no one wanted to talk about growing older,” Worthington says. “You know, it was that same ‘60’s attitude – ‘Don’t trust anyone over 30; hell no we won’t go.’ Today as the boomers turn 60 and 65, it’s a different story,” Worthington explains. “We recognized early on that careful attention to the combination of physical, social, mental and financial fitness was powerful in the pursuit of a positive lifestyle and have built our Healthy Aging® programs around that concept for the government and private sector through this annual observance as well as TV specials, videos, books, printed material, our website and blogs.

“The interest in positive lifestyle information seems to be insatiable. Our subscriber list for Healthy Aging® Magazine keeps growing so we know we are on the right track. We are not about retirement. Nor are we a ‘senior’ magazine filled with articles about depression, incontinence or organ recitals. We are about vibrant, active, 45-plus people who are taking charge of their lives, following their passion, and who are happily looking forward to what’s next in life.”

NHCW Health Care for the Homeless Day – August 16, 2017

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What is HCH Day?

HCH Day falls in the middle of Health Center Week, seven days of celebrating the Health Center program and its critical role in the health care safety net. Health Center Week occurs August 13 – 19 and is primarily organized by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

HCH Day (August 16) specifically celebrates Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Projects, which are considered special population Health Centers. Each year consumers and staff at HCH projects organize events to highlight the important services provided to individuals experiencing homelessness. These events allow HCH projects to build relationships with community partners, engage elected officials, and show appreciation for the consumers, staff, and communities that support the vital work of HCH.

 

What makes HCH unique?

Homelessness is a significant barrier to good health. Poor nutrition, inadequate hygiene, exposure to violence and weather-related illness and injury, increased risk of contracting communicable diseases, and the constant stress of housing instability all contribute to the health issues faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. Without housing, what many see as a simple scrape endured from falling down can become infected, routine colds can develop into pneumonia, and manageable chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, and HIV can become disabling, life-threatening, and costly conditions. Rates of all illnesses for people experiencing homelessness are three to six times higher than those of other populations, and life expectancy is 30 years shorter.

HCH projects work to provide critical health care services in a comprehensive, team-based model that seeks to address the interconnected health and social problems faced by most individuals experiencing homelessness. The work of HCH projects is vital to ensuring the basic health care needs of the vulnerable population experiencing homelessness, eliminating health disparities, and ending homelessness in our country.

HCH projects work to provide accessible, quality, and comprehensive care.

  • Accessibility for people without homes requires some extra effort for health centers. Dispossessed people are often reluctant to seek services in a system that has failed on every front to meet their needs, and competition to have those needs met can keep them away from clinic doors. Many HCH projects take care directly to the streets and shelters, actively seeking out the most vulnerable of our neighbors.
  • Quality care for people who are unstably housed is attainable.  Good clinical practices like patient self-determination goal setting, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed care are generating outcomes on a par with or better than the outcomes of other populations on measures like hypertension control.
  • Comprehensive care is possible in HCH because a multitude of actors collaborate with those inside the medical exam room to address the needs of the whole person, including mental health, substance abuse and social needs.  Many HCH projects are also involved in innovative treatment models, such as patient centered medical homes, permanent supportive housing, and medical respite care programs; which have the potential to lower system wide costs and improve the health and stability of homeless persons.

August 13-19 National Health Center Week

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Celebrating America’s Health Centers: Innovators in Community Health
National Health Center Week August 7-13, 2016

National Health Center Week has been celebrated for more than 30 years to recognize the services and contributions of Community, Migrant, Homeless and Public Housing Health Centers. While there are countless reasons to celebrate America’s Health Centers, among the most important and unique is their long success in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost effective health care to medically vulnerable and under-served people throughout the United States.

National Immunization Awareness Month – August

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National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. NIAM was established to encourage people of all ages to make sure they are up to date on the vaccines recommended for them. Communities have continued to use the month each year to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases.

NIAM is sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC). For more information on the observance, visit NPHIC’s NIAM website

World Hepatitis Day

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On 28 July World Hepatitis Day (WHD) brings the world together to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change in disease prevention and access to testing, treatment and care. One of just four disease-specific global awareness days officially endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), WHD unites patient organisations, governments and the general public to boost the global profile of viral hepatitis.

The sixth official WHD took place on July 28 2016 along the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) theme of ‘NOhep – Eliminate Hepatitis’ and World Health Organization (WHO) theme ‘Know hepatitis – Act now’. Once again the impact of WHD grew substantially this year, with 174 countries taking part across the globe and 105 national governments and 59 WHO Country Offices commemorating the day.

 

Find out more about past World Hepatitis Day campaigns here.

June is Men’s Health Month!

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Anchored by a Congressional health education program, Men’s Health Month is celebrated across the country with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities.

The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The response has been overwhelming with thousands of awareness activities in the USA and around the globe.

World No Tobacco Day 2017

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Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners mark World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health and additional risks associated with tobacco use, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.

The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 is “Tobacco – a threat to development.”

About the campaign

  • It will demonstrate the threats that the tobacco industry poses to the sustainable development of all countries, including the health and economic well-being of their citizens.
  • It will propose measures that governments and the public should take to promote health and development by confronting the global tobacco crisis.

Tobacco control supports health and development

WHO is calling on countries to prioritize and accelerate tobacco control efforts as part of their responses to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

All countries benefit from successfully controlling the tobacco epidemic, above all by protecting their citizens from the harms of tobacco use and reducing its economic toll on national economies. The aim of the Sustainable Development Agenda, and its 17 global goals, is to ensure that “no one is left behind.”

Tobacco control has been enshrined in the Sustainable Development Agenda. It is seen as one of the most effective means to help achieve SDG target 3.4 of a one-third reduction globally, by 2030, of premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancers and chronic obstructed pulmonary disease. Strengthening implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco in all countries is an additional target to be met by governments developing national sustainable development responses.

Controlling tobacco helps achieve other global goals

In addition to saving lives and reducing health inequalities, comprehensive tobacco control contains the adverse environmental impact of tobacco growing, manufacturing, trade and consumption.

Tobacco control can break the cycle of poverty, contribute to ending hunger, promote sustainable agriculture and economic growth, and combat climate change. Increasing taxes on tobacco products can also be used to finance universal health coverage and other development programs of the government.

It is not only governments who can step up tobacco control efforts: people can contribute on an individual level to making a sustainable, tobacco-free world. People can commit to never take up tobacco products. Those who do use tobacco can quit the habit, or seek help in doing so, which will in turn protect their health as well as people exposed to second-hand smoke, including children, other family members and friends. Money not spent on tobacco can be, in turn, used for other essential uses, including the purchase of healthy food, healthcare and education.

Facts about tobacco, tobacco control and the development goals

  • About 6 million people die from tobacco use every year, a figure that is predicted to grow to more than 8 million a year by 2030 without intensified action. Tobacco use is a threat to any person, regardless of gender, age, race, cultural or educational background. It brings suffering, disease, and death, impoverishing families and national economies.
  • Tobacco use costs national economies enormously through increased health-care costs and decreased productivity. It worsens health inequalities and exacerbates poverty, as the poorest people spend less on essentials such as food, education and health care. Some 80% of premature deaths from tobacco occur in low- or middle-income countries, which face increased challenges to achieving their development goals.
  • Tobacco growing requires large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers, which can be toxic and pollute water supplies. Each year, tobacco growing uses 4.3 million hectares of land, resulting in global deforestation between 2% and 4%. Tobacco manufacturing also produces over 2 million tonnes of solid waste.
  • The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) guides the global fight against the tobacco epidemic. The WHO FCTC is an international treaty with 180 Parties (179 countries and the European Union). Today, more than half the world’s countries, representing nearly 40% of the world’s population (2.8 billion people), have implemented at least one of the WHO FCTC’s most cost-effective measures to the highest level. An increasing number of countries are creating firewalls to ward off interference from the tobacco industry in government tobacco control policy.
  • Through increasing cigarette taxes worldwide by US$1, an extra US$190 billion could be raised for development. High tobacco taxes contribute to revenue generation for governments, reduce demand for tobacco, and offer an important revenue stream to finance development activities.

Goals of the World No Tobacco Day 2017 campaign

World No Tobacco Day 2017 aims to:

  • Highlight the links between the use of tobacco products, tobacco control and sustainable development.
  • Encourage countries to include tobacco control in their national responses to 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
  • Support Member States and civil society to combat tobacco industry interference in political processes, in turn leading to stronger national tobacco control action.
  • Encourage broader public and partner participation in national, regional and global efforts to develop and implement development strategies and plans and achieve goals that prioritize action on tobacco control.
  • Demonstrate how individuals can contribute to making a sustainable, tobacco-free world, either by committing to never taking up tobacco products, or by quitting the habit.