Healthiest Nation in One Generation

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Healthiest Nation in One Generation

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While the United States spends more on health care than any other nation in the world, it lags behind many developed nations in important health measures. Compared with other developed nations, the United States has relatively low life expectancy, high infant mortality rates, a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and persistent health inequities.
 
This is simply unacceptable. Since the early 1900s, APHA has vigorously promoted the need for universal health care coverage. However, while universal access to health care is vital to improving the health of our nation, it is just one element of reforming our health system. In order to more fully and effectively achieve a healthier nation we need to ensure the underlying social and economic conditions that allow individuals and communities to be healthy.
 
We must shift from a nation solely focused on treating individual illness to one that also promotes population-based health services that encourage preventive and early intervention practices. Further funding for vital public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with state and local health departments will help promote community-based education and outreach programs.
 
Public health and the prevention strategies that it promotes form the foundation for health system reform. Delivering resources to entire communities has more positive health impacts on people than individual interventions alone. Population-based programs address main causes of disease, disability and health disparities for a wide range of people and can help achieve increased value for our health dollar. These programs, in conjunction with stronger health care coverage and delivery, will lead to a true change in our nation’s health.
 
As the new administration and Congress begin to address health system reform, we need to contemplate the ideas behind comprehensive health system reform and its impacts on improving the health of our nation. The APHA Agenda for Health Reform outlines some of the most important issues and steps that we should take in order to remedy our nation’s health.
 
Help us make our country the healthiest nation in one generation. APHA has created this Web site as a guide to the latest information on health reform. Please check back often as we will be updating it regularly.