Major Public Health Issues for 2018
- Smoking
- Climate Change
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Obesity
Agencies and organizations that deal with public health concerns have no shortage of major issue to deal with ranging from vaccines to gun deaths and sexually transmitted diseases to alcohol abuse. However, the five public health issues listed below are some of the most widespread and serious.
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1. Smoking
Smoking causes more preventable deaths than any other single factor. Smokers’ lives are cut short by a decade on average compared to nonsmokers, and in the United States, more than 16 million people have a smoking-related disease. Over 480,000 people die each year because of smoking. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has set recommended levels for states to follow regarding smoking prevention, but not a single state has met the CDC recommendations. Tobacco companies have paid settlements, but the money is not being used to fund these programs. Smoking will continue to be a major public health issue until more attention is focused on its prevention.
2. Climate Change
The American Public Health Association considers climate change a major public health threat. The CDC has had a Climate and Health Program in place for more than a decade. Among the major public health concerns associated with climate change are extreme heat leading to heat-related illnesses, extremes associated with precipitation that include both drought and flooding and a rise in diseases carried by mosquitoes, tick, and fleas. Health departments across the country are increasingly focusing on how climate change will affect public health and what they can do to help.
3. Motor Vehicle Accidents
More people die in motor vehicle accidents than in any other work-related type of accident. The CDC reports that although death rates from motor vehicle accidents dropped in the 20th century, in 2013, the fatality rate was twice as high compared to the average in other countries with higher incomes. There is also a lower rate of front seat belt use. Other countries have demonstrated that motor vehicle fatalities are preventable, and they can be reduced by encouraging seat belt use and discouraging activities such as driving while drinking or distracted.
4. Cardiovascular Disease
The risk posed to Americans by heart attack, stroke and other illnesses associated with heart disease remains high. Many people have uncontrolled high blood pressure, consume too much sodium, get too little exercise or have other lifestyle issues that increase the likelihood that they have or will develop heart disease. It is estimated that a minimum of 200,000 deaths annually from heart attack and stroke are preventable. In addition to promoting lifestyle changes, public health bodies educate people about how to recognize the signs of a heart attack and get help quickly.
5. Obesity
Public health bodies have referred to obesity in the United States as an epidemic for years. It is a major preventable cause of many diseases including diabetes, some cancer, heart disease and gallbladder disease. Obesity is a serious problem in childhood and can be a marker for adult obesity. A lack of exercise and poor nutrition both tend to be related to obesity, and increasing knowledge about both of them can help reduce the its incidence.
Diseases and deaths caused by the above factors have both a high human and monetary cost, and all of them can be reduced or eliminated entirely. Agencies will continue to address these public health concerns and work toward making the population healthier.
