Title: National Public Health Week: Empowering Americans to Live Stronger, Longer!
Author:
Section/SPIG: Epidemiology
Issue Date:
The national observance of National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2005 will be April 4-8. NPHW 2005 will focus on healthy aging and will be dedicated to empowering Americans to live stronger, longer. Last year’s NPHW was the most successful in NPHW history with overwhelming grassroots participation around the country. NPHW 2004 was recognized in 50 states and had more than 230 partners and 13 sponsors. In 2004 APHA launched the Community Solutions to Health Disparities Database that receives at least 800 visits per month. Our expectations for NPHW 2005 are even greater. Again, APHA hopes you will partner with us in observing a very important public health issue.
1. Encouraging Americans to Live Stronger, Longer by Practicing the 3 Ps
The theme for NPHW will focus on empowering aging Americans to live healthier lives. Today, public health advancements and new treatments options are enabling Americans to live longer. The average life expectancy in the United States is now 74 years for men and 78 years for women.
The American Public Health Association (APHA) believes that many individuals and their families, as well as communities and policymakers, are missing opportunities to take the preventive actions necessary to keep aging Americans strong and healthy throughout their later years. As a result, older Americans often endure chronic physical and mental illnesses that could be avoided or diminished if they were more proactively addressed. NPHW 2005 will be dedicated to empowering Americans to live stronger, longer. During the week, APHA and its partners will promote the three Ps for adding more healthy years to life: Preventing health problems by practicing healthy living, Protecting your health through early detection and screening, and developing a Plan to manage your health that will promote a high quality of life in later years.
APHA aims to use NPHW 2005 to improve access to quality health care for all seniors and expand opportunities for aging Americans to live healthier lives by: - Encouraging Americans over age 65 to get a health risk assessment and create a health management plan based on the three Ps;
- Encouraging family members of those over age 65 to assist their older relatives in practicing the three Ps; and
- Educating policy-makers about the 3Ps to living healthier longer along with simple policy changes that can make it easier for Americans to adopt these changes.
APHA and its partners will meet these goals by using NPHW 2005 to highlight the three Ps of healthy living and encouraging Americans to get a health risk assessment and create an action plan for dealing with potential health risks.
APHA will provide its partners with several tools and products to deliver this message during the week. Tools will include a health risk assessment with a planning component, fact sheets and event planning checklists. Materials for your planning efforts will be available the first week in February.
2. NPHW logos and posters are now available online
You can now download the NPHW logo and posters at http://www.apha.org/nphw/toolkit/05-toolkit.cfm.
Become a Sponsor
Each year APHA serves as the organizer of National Public Health Week. APHA develops a national campaign around the theme selected for that week and creates and distributes a number of outreach tools. Organizing a campaign of this magnitude requires resources. We still need your help! Our National outreach efforts will be determined by the amount of funding that we receive. The number of people that we can reach with this message is endless with the proper funding. If you are interested in funding the week, please contact Lakitia Mayo, Director of Grassroots Advocacy and Affiliate Affairs by e-mail at lakitia.mayo@apha.org or telephone at (202) 777-2515.
4. Become a Partner
Join us in observing NPHW as a national or local partner. There is no cost to being a partner, because we know the success of NPHW will depend on the energy of our national and local partnerships. The role of a national partner is to deliver the message of NPHW through their networks throughout their organization and media outlets in the reference of their organization as a national partner in the week. Local partners will plan and implement activities to elevate the issue of healthy aging in their communities. APHA will provide partners with outreach materials to accomplish this goal. All partners are asked to link their organization’s Web site to the NPHW Web site. Each partner will be recognized on the partner page of the Web site.In order to become a partner, please complete the partnership form at http://www.apha.org/nphw/sponsors/05-partner_form.cfm.
5. Sign our Guestbook to Receive NPHW Updates
If you have not already, sign the NPHW Guestbook to receive periodic updates and organizing tips for National Public Health Week 2005 at http://www.apha.org/nphw/guestbook/.
6. Post your NPHW Event on the NPHW Calendar
Please post you local National Public Health Week Events on the interactive NPHW calendar. You can electronically submit your events. Your event will be posted in your state on a virtual map of the United States. This list of events is used by the public and the media to find out what NPHW events are taking place in their communities.
7. APHA Partners with the Administration on Aging to Promote their National You Can! Campaign
You Can! - Steps to Healthier Aging is organized by the Administration on Aging as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Steps to a HealthierUS initiative. This campaign encourages Americans of every age to make healthier choices. The You Can! campaign is designed to increase the number of older adults who are active and healthy by using a partnership approach to mobilize communities. During NPHW, APHA would like for NPHW partners to provide the campaign as a resource to encourage Americans to live healthier lives. You can sign up to become a partner of this national campaign at http://www.aoa.gov/youcan/youcan.asp.