Health Dept. to mark ‘Public Health Week’

VW County Health Dept. information

During the first week of April each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) brings together communities across the U.S. to observe National Public Health Week (NPHW). This week is a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving the overall health of communities, counties, states and the nation as a whole.

The Van Wert County Health Department plays a crucial role in supporting the public health system of the community with the help of several local and state partners. The department is celebrating NPHW by promoting public health throughout the week and participating in a Regional Emergency Preparedness Exercise on Thursday.

“Being healthy requires more than just visiting the doctor’s office and the gym,” said Director of Nursing Kim Haas, R.N. “Every resident, organization and business has a role in ensuring that we can all live long, healthy lives here in Van Wert County.”

Each day during NPHW has a different theme and public health focus:

Tuesday, April 7, Starting from Zip — Today, the ZIP code a person resides in says far too much about their health. The effort to make the U.S. the healthiest nation in one generation starts with ensuring equity across our communities.

Wednesday, April 8, Building Momentum — Significant shifts demonstrate that the momentum is building around a higher commitment to the nation’s public health. A broad range of influential organizations are taking important steps in line with creating the healthiest nation. These steps include CVS Health’s decision to stop selling tobacco products as well as sixteen major food and beverage companies’ commitment to reduce the calories in their products by 6.4 trillion calories.

Thursday, April 9, Building Broader Communities — A network of partners and connections are needed in communities to make the U.S. the healthiest nation in one generation. The public health community must expand its partnerships to collaborate with city planners, education officials, public, private and for-profit organizations who impact the nation’s health.

Friday, April 10, Building on 20 Years of Success — 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of APHA coordinating National Public Health Week. Some of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century include achieving a record high level of vaccination coverage in the country, a reduction in the rate of deaths attributed to motor vehicle crashes and approximately 1.6 million lives saved due to efforts to reduce tobacco use.

To learn more about NPHW visit www.nphw.org. To learn more about Van Wert County Health Department, visit its website at www.vanwertcountyhealth.org or “like” it on Facebook.