The Healthy People 2020 initiative provides evidence-based, 10-year national objectives for preventing disease and promoting good health for all Americans. The initiative is the result of a multiyear process led by the Federal Interagency Workgroup, and collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies, an advisory committee, and input from thousands of citizens.
At the initiative’s launch on December 2, 2010, the nation’s health promotion and disease prevention agenda for the next 10 years was unveiled. Healthy People 2020 is organized into 39 topics with objectives, including several new areas, such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues, Health Related Quality of Life and Well-Being, and Social Determinants of Health. Each topic includes three tabs: “Overview,” “Objectives,” and “Interventions & Resources.”
What’s new in Healthy People 2020?
- Emphasizes the ideas of health equity that address social determinants of health and promote health across all stages of life
- Replaces the traditional print publication with an interactive Web site as the main vehicle for dissemination
- Maintains a Web site that allows users to tailor information to their needs and explore evidence-based resources for implementation
There are several ways to stay up-to-date on the latest Healthy People news:
- Twitter @GoHealthyPeople
- Healthy People 2020 Linkedin group
- E-mail info@nhic.org
- Join the Healthy People Consortium
- Subscribe to the Healthy People listserv
Parts of this article were reprinted from Health People 2020: The Road Ahead and HealthyPeople.gov.
~ Jill Foust