National Public Health Week is a public education initiative every first week of April. Launched in America three decades ago, it is a week that recognizes the importance of leading healthier lives, irrespective of where we live, work, or come from and tackling issues that can improve the health and happiness of our nation.
The first National Public Health Week took place in April 1955 and was organized by the American Public Health Association. Since then, the initiative has received tremendous support from civil societies and administrations across the United States. The day recognizes the long history and achievements in public health. It also serves to highlight critical issues to help people lead healthier and happier lives.
In attempting to reach these goals, National Public Health Week seeks to address the root causes of poor health, disease, and lifestyles. It starts with recognizing that healthcare is still a privilege many cannot afford. Where people are born, their neighborhoods, places of work, different lives, and backgrounds determine the quality of healthcare access.
National Public Health Week is committed to making health inclusive and equitable. It hopes to foster decision-making that considers the health of all communities — irrespective of income, race, or gender. Each year, the first full week in April celebrates the power of the community in realizing this vision. The APHA usually announces different themes for each day of the week. From fitness challenges and discussions to sharing healthy recipes — it’s seven days of committing to health as a country.
A child who goes to school hungry will not be an engaged student. People working for minimum wages sacrifice health for the sake of an income. There are thousands of families who have no access to nutritious food in their communities. Or those without the means to travel to access quality healthcare, often located far away.
Long-standing inequities in health care, income, housing, education, and many other factors that influence health and well-being have widened during the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities are largely driven by racism and biases embedded in our systems, institutions, policies, and practices. This structural racism results in a lack of access and opportunity, and increased sickness and premature death among communities of color. For example, compared to white women, Black women (across socioeconomic status) are three times more likely to die within one year of childbirth. American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic youth graduate high school at rates significantly lower than white youth. In 2019, the median wealth for Black and Hispanic families was about $24,000 and $36,000, respectively, compared to $188,000 for white families. The public health community must address racism as the key driver of poorer health for communities of color and health disparities.
We must transform our systems and dismantle policies and practices that uphold racism and continue inequities. We must make racial equity central to health equity. Work with your local leaders to enact resolutions, policies, and programs that address racism as a public health crisis. Urge your members of Congress to support voting rights and health equity legislation that can help address the health disparities and inequities disproportionately affecting communities of color. Advocate for policies and practices that promote truth-telling and racial healing. Apply a racial equity lens to all decisions about policies and programs.
Racism shapes where and how people live and what resources and opportunities they have. Racism directly affects the physical and mental health of people of color.
Yet the communities most impacted by structural racism are often excluded from processes where decisions are made that directly affect their lives. Meaningful community engagement processes, civic engagement strategies such as participatory budgeting, and efforts to promote power-sharing and power building with communities can ensure that community priorities are centered in decision-making. This can also result in more equitable distribution of power and resources, which, when coupled with explicit health equity goals, can improve people's health and well-being.
Racism harms us all. While people of color experience more direct negative consequences on their health and wellness due to racism, the inequity driven by racism affects society as a whole. A 2020 estimate found that closing racial gaps in income, wealth, and education could add $5 trillion to the U.S. economy over the next five years. Ensuring schools are integrated by race and socioeconomic status improves educational attainment for low-income students, and long-term racial relations and social cohesion for all students. Further, by naming and addressing racism and advancing racial equity, we can also address other areas of marginalization, including ability, gender, sexual orientation, and age. We can combat climate change and other environmental health challenges, and their disproportionate impact on front-line communities and communities of color.
Sources:
https://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/national-public-health-week