National Public Health Week

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Image: NPHW

The full report for Virginia can be accessed online.

1. Within Virginia, the top five counties by heath outcomes are:
2. 1)      Fairfax
3. 2)      Arlington
4. 3)      Loudoun
5. 4)      Albermarle
6. 5)      York
7. The top five counties by health factors are:
8. 1)      Loudoun
9. 2)      James City
10. 3)      York
11. 4)      Albermarke
12. 5)      Roanoke

1. Fairfax County is encouraging its residents to “start small, think big” by:
   1. 1) Washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
   2. Germs can live for 2 or more hours on surfaces
2. 2) Increasing physical activity.
3. The CDC has Physical Activity Guides for children, adults, and older adults
4. 3) Keeping vaccinations up to date.
5. Coincidentally, April is Childhood Immunization Month
6. 4) Staying Tobacco Free.
7. The CDC states that cigarette smoking causes one in five deaths per year in the US.
8. 5) Eating Healthy.
9. USDA has guidelines for eating nutritious meals.

George Mason University’s Global Health Students Beyond Borders and Society for Epidemiology and Public Health will be hosting an event for National Public Health Week on Friday, April 9 from 2-8pm in the 3^rd floor meeting room G of the Johnson Center.

1. World Health Day is April 7th and has been celebrated since 1950.  The World Health Organization is launching a campaign to counter the “triple threat” to health in cities:
2. 1) Infectious diseases, especially in places lacking water and sanitation
3. 2) Lack of physical activity
4. 3) The city itself: violence, crime, road traffic, injuries.

The World Health Day campaign “1000 cities, 1000 lives” calls on international cities to close their streets to traffic and maintain them for pedestrian use from April 7-11.

Start small through fitness, mental health, nutrition, preventing injury and illness, and protecting the environment.

Think big by preventing illness and injury, promoting fitness and nutrition, protecting the environment, and public health advocacy and community policies.

Tips for “starting small, thinking big” can be accessed through the website generationpublichealth. Links are provided to take action in strengthening child nutrition programs, public health funding, and strong food safety legislation, among others.

Marler Clark encourages the celebration of National Public Health Week through the passage of S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act.  However, North Carolina small farmers have concerns over the bill.

How will you get involved during National Public Health Week and World Health Day?

–Aisha Salazar

Tags: Aisha Salazar, County Health Rankings, Fairfax, food safety legislation, Gut Check, health tips, Marler Clark, National Public Health Week, Northern Virginia Magazine, public health, Virginia, WHO, World Health Day