World Health Day 2010!
This is the second in a series of posts for the American Public Health Association’s National Public Health Week.
Today, Wednesday April 7th marks World Health Day 2010. This year, the UN Secretary-General’s Message for World Health Day centers on the theme of urbanization and health with the campaign “1000 cities – 1000 lives.” The theme of Urban Health was chosen in the setting of a world in which the majority of the population is living in urban versus rural areas for the first time in history. At the same time, poverty is also shifting from sparsely-populated rural areas to urban areas especially in developing countries.
Disparities in people’s income, opportunities, living conditions and access to services along with numerous threats to public health including inadequate sanitation and refuse collection; industrial and traffic pollution; infectious diseases that thrive on squalor and crowded conditions; high rates of tobacco use; physical inactivity; unhealthy diets; crime, violence and the use of harmful substances are complex issues depending not only on public health measures but also social policy and governmental structures.
About The Author
Jennifer Weinberg
Global Pulse editor and Medical Student at the University of Pennsylvania.
Other posts byJennifer Weinberg
Author his web sitehttp://www.globalpulsejournal.com
Of interest:
In the coming months, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will be deciding how to complete the fiscal year 2011 appropriations bills, which will provide the level of public health funding for the upcoming fiscal year. It is of utmost importance that APHA members and advocates contact Congress, voicing their strong support for public health funding and urging the highest possible funding increase for essential public health service agencies.
Please send a letter to your Senators and Representative today, at the APHA’s action page.