Healthy people 2020 is the government’s prevention agenda on having a healthy nation (Healthy People, n.d.). Healthy people 2020 is a declaration of national health objectives intended to ascertain the preventable threats to health and institute goals to mitigate the threats. The Federal government provides for a ten-year science based initiative on improving the health of a nation. Healthy people 2020 was developed in December 2010 providing science based initiatives for the ten-year period to 2020. It provides for the goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention within the ten-year period. The agenda is a result of stakeholder feedback with input from public health and disease prevention cognoscenti, state and government officials, the public and over 2,000 organizations. The vision of healthy people 2020 is “To have a society in which all people live long, healthy lives.”
Information about healthy people 2020 can be obtained in the government website https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/. The information provided is useful to various stakeholders including students, clinicians, policy makers and other professionals that may find the information relevant. The information and statistical data provided in the website is useful as it comes in many forms including charts, infographics and charts. The websites also offer evidence based resources and tools for action that can be used by the various stakeholders like communities, states and state officials and the public in improving the health of the nation. The website is rich in data and resources that can be used with different people including students, medical practitioners and other professionals. Part of the resources offered include on-field stories on programs and interventions that can be used by the public to learn about the different programs and actions across the nation.
The leading health indicators are the major influences that are recognized on the health of the public. They are critical health problems that if handled can significantly lead to a decrease in the primary causes of preventable deaths in the population. These health indicators are directly linked to specific healthy people objectives. The leading health indicators single out important health problems, individual behavior, environmental and social factors that affect the health of a person and the community. Information on the leading health indicators can be found on the government website healthypeople.gov and the CDC website under statistics.
The three leading health indicators include; access to health services, nutrition, physical activity and obesity and environmental quality. Access to health services has major influence on the health of the person. Therefore, by increasing the access to health care services to more people the health is likely to improve the health of the nation. a person’s overall well-being requires good nutrition, physical activity and healthy body weight. Environmental quality looks at pollution and the role of pollution in premature death and chronic diseases like cancer.
The one leading indicator that concerns me most is nutrition, physical activity and obesity. The goals and objectives of the indicator include; reducing the rate of heart complications, to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, decreasing the risk of certain chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes and strengthening the muscle and joints.
