This article talks about top 10 biggest Public Health Issues in America and The United Kingdom
Talking about the Public Health Issues/challenges In the United States, this article drives answers in correlation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), who monitors top public health issues.
Here are the top 10 major areas of public health concerns as reported by the CDC:
- Healthcare-associated infectious
- Alcohol
- Food Safety
- Heart diesases and stroke
- Tobacco use
- Drug Prescription overdose
- Motor Vehicle Injuries
- Nutrition, Physical activity and obesity
- Teen pregnancy
- HIv/Aids
Here are the explanations to all the aforementioned health issues in America:
1. Healthcare-associated infections:
The Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) happen when patients are being treated in a healthcare related facility - Hospitals, Isolation centre, etc. According to CDC, it reports that every day, about one in 25 patients in hospitals acquire an HAI such as surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated and urinary tract infections and. However, it should interest all Americans that the CDC and its partners have developed tools and resources to prevent HAIs.
2. Alcohol:
Alcohol is reported to have caused approximately 88,000 deaths per year in the United States. It is attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.
Long-term health risks can develop as well, to include: high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, heart diseases and digestive problems; cancer; learning and memory problems; mental health problems; social problems; and alcoholism.
The short-term health risks of excessive alcohol use include: injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings and burns; violence such as homicide, suicide and sexual assault; alcohol poisoning; risky sexual behaviors; and miscarriage and stillbirth among pregnant women.
3. Food Safety:
According to CDC, Foodborne illness sickens one in six Americans each year and results in 3,000 deaths.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) calculates the cost of foodborne illnesses to be $15.6 billion annually. However, foodborne illness is preventable, and the CDC and USDA take a leading role in promoting food safety at the federal level and other levels of government.
4. Heart disease and stroke:
Both heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death in the United States, CDC reports that about 610,000 people die of heart disease each year. Prevention focuses on addressing high LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking of any type.
Meanwhile, there are about 130,000 deaths due to stroke annually. Because stroke can affect mobility, it is a major cause of disability as well.
5. Tobacco use:
According to CDC, approximately 16.8 percent of adults ages 18 and older smoke, or 35 million Americans. The percentage continues to decline, but smoking is still a prominent health concern in the United States. It is the leading cause of preventable disease and death. As a way forward, the CDC recommends the following to reduce tobacco usage in America:
- Increasing the price of tobacco products,
- Sustaining tobacco control program, funding,
- establishing statewide smoke-free policies to protect nonsmokers Americans from secondhand smoke, lastly,
- Smoke permit could be adopted for those having Health challenges with Doctor's advise to smoke.
6. Drug prescription overdose:
The CDC reports that deaths from prescription opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone have quadrupled since 1999. As a response, the CDC has published prescribing guidelines for healthcare providers and encouraged states to adopt prescription drug monitoring programs. There is a push for expanding addiction treatment.
7. Motor vehicle injuries:
American Vehicle Officers reports that more than 32,000 people die and another 2 million sustain injuries from motor vehicle accidents each year. One-third of deaths involve drunk driving and almost another third involve over-speeding.
As a precaution, the CDC emphasizes seat belt use for adults, car seat use for children and driving without distractions or impairments like alcohol and drugs. CDC also warns that Children should not be allowed to sit at the front of the Car.
8. Nutrition, physical activity and obesity:
This is a common issue around the World, the general population is aware that poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and obesity are causing numerous health problems.
The CDC is tackling this complex public health issue beginning with schools, which should provide a quality meal program and ensure only healthy foods and beverages are available to students.
As part of obesity prevention, multiple organizations and schools can help individuals know their body mass index via testing and maintain a healthy weight and incorporate physical activity into their lives and school curriculum. The good news is that some Schools in America, United Kingdom and some others have key into this.
9. Teen pregnancy:
Report by CDC shows that the rate of teen pregnancy continues to decrease every year in America, almost 250,000 babies were born to females ages 15-19 in 2014. Teens need support from parents and other trusted adults, who can play an important role in helping them make healthy choices about relationships and sexual activity, the CDC advises.
10. HIV/AIDs:
Though, the good news is that the number of new HIV diagnoses is declining, but CDC reports that about 44,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2014. In total, approximately 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and about 13 percent do not know they are infected - many of whom are walking on the streets of America. Nearly 7,000 people per year die from HIV and AIDs.
Some of the preventive measures for HIV/Aids as released by CDC are:
- Abstinence from either premarital s@x,
- Educating the population about HIV infection,
- Correct use of condoms, and
- Non-sharing of sharp objects like needles and blade.
As a recommendation, here is video on how America can fix Health care by Mike Bloomberg:
Disclaimer: All health issue listed here are property of United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP); Daily News Report only made reference to them in this Article.