Comment on Healthy People 2020

Every ten years, the federal government (HHS) considers the research, scientific insights, and lessons learned over the past decade and creates science-based, 10-year national objectives for promoting health and preventing disease.   The set of objectives is known as Healthy People; the forthcoming plan from the feds, then, is Healthy People 2020.

Healthy People 2020 "will reflect assessments of major risks to health and wellness, changing public health priorities, and emerging issues related to our nation's health preparedness and prevention."   (Healthy People 2020, http://www.healthypeople.gov/HP2020/).   The kinds of areas covered in HP2020 are access to health services, adolescent health, early and middle childhood, educational and community-based programs, and injury and violence prevention.

The proposed national Healthy People 2020 objectives are online and the public is encouraged to comment.   Comments may be submitted www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020online or by emailing HP2020 [AT] hhs [DOT] gov.   Comments are due by December 31.

There are more than 40 objectives related to school and adolescent health.   The American School Health Association has pulled these objectives together in this document   Given the demonstrated value of school-based health and the District's interest in expanding offerings in schools (see this post on funding for such programs), those interested in teens should pay particular attention to these objectives.

The District presumably will update its Healthy People 2020 plan.   That said, there is no information on a process on the DOH Web site.