Healthy People 2020: Addressing Infectious Diseases and Public Health

Topic: Disease Words: 1150 Pages: 5

Table of Contents

Overview of the Program
Population-Based Communicable Illnesses
Mumps
Measles
Tetanus
Conclusion
References

Overview of the Program

The Healthy People 2020 program was initiated by the Department of Health and Human Services at the end of 2010 (CDC, 2015a). The campaign aims to reduce disparities in health outcomes across all social groups. It has set a goal of achieving high standards of life without debilitating diseases, injuries, and premature mortality in all communities. Another one of the objectives stated in the Healthy People 2020 initiative is to support the high quality of living and promote healthy behaviors at different stages of human life (CDC, 2015a).

The Healthy People 2020 program has outlined around twelve hundred objectives across forty-two different topic areas (CDC, 2015a). Each topic area is dedicated to the particular public health sphere of the nation. Some of the objectives are developmental, meaning that baseline data for them is not available (CDC, 2015a). However, the majority of points have already defined targets and could be measured. Approximately 900 objectives were ready at the time of the campaign’s initiation (CDC, 2015a). It is important to note that several of the program’s objectives immediately gained so much traction that they are being monitored without defining specific informational targets (CDC, 2015a). The information for monitoring objectives of the initiative is divided into such groups as gender, race, education, country of origin, disability, marital status, family type, and age, among others (CDC, 2015a). Data related to objective numbers and text baselines can be accessed on the campaign’s website (CDC, 2015a). National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) monitors the information from more than two hundred sources in order to track the progress of the program (CDC, 2015a).

Population-Based Communicable Illnesses

The Miami-Dade County Health Department (MDCHD) is an organization whose main function is the promotion of the health of community residents. To this end, it regularly conducts health assessments, epidemiologic studies, and surveys (Florida Health, 2016a). The agency partners with other organizations and the general public in order to gather the most comprehensive data that would accurately reflect the state of health of both residents and visitors of the county. It set a goal of providing information related to the increased health risks among the population of the district to health care providers.

According to the monthly epidemiological report of the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (33172), the percentage of emergency department visits linked to influenza-like illnesses has dropped significantly since last year (Florida Health, 2016b). However, the incidents rates of chlamydia have increased from 5646 cases in 2014 to 7123 anticipated cases in 2016 (Florida Health, 2016b). Miami-Dade County also saw a rise of other sexually transmitted diseases such as infectious syphilis and gonorrhea in the period from 2014 to 2016 (Florida Health, 2016b). However, there was a substantial decrease in shigellosis occurrence rates – from 534 cases in 2014 to 46 cases in 2016 (Florida Health, 2016b). The rates of occurrence of immunization-preventable diseases such as pertussis, rubella, tetanus, measles, varicella, and mumps have not changed significantly since 2014 (Florida Health, 2016b). The provisional data on incidence rates of tuberculosis and AIDS suggest that the patterns of disease occurrence have changed little in the 2014-2016 period (Florida Health, 2016b).

Mumps

According to the monthly epidemiological report of the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, only three cases of mumps were registered in 2015 (Florida Health, 2016b). The number of new disease cases for the nation was 584 in 2013, which is disproportionately high (CDC, 2016). Therefore, it can be said that the illness does not affect the community in any meaningful way. Mumps, like other immunization-preventable diseases, can be stopped by vaccination. Even though the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly records small outbreaks of the illness, it was almost eliminated in the United States (CDC, 2016). Since the start of the vaccination program in 1967, the incidence rates of mumps have decreased by 99 percent (CDC, 2016). According to CDC, around 92 percent of kids are being immunized against the disease before they reach the age of three (2016). In order to minimize the transition of the mumps, the information on the proper use of antibiotics and vaccines has to be disseminated by governmental and public organizations (ODPHP, 2016). Miami-Dade County offers free mumps vaccines for children and provides educational and health care services for all residents and visitors of the community (Florida Health, 2016c).

Measles

Measles is an infectious disease caused by the virus agent present in the nose mucus of the patient. Infected individuals can pass it to others who have not been immunized after only four days from the appearance of the initial symptoms of the illness. The virus travels through air or can stay on a surface touched by patients and quickly spread further if someone touches it (CDC, 2015b).

Immunization Services of the Miami-Dade County Health Department direct their efforts at the promotion of vaccination against measles. They also educate parents and legal guardians of kids about the necessity to conduct proper immunization (Florida Health, 2016c). According to the monthly epidemiological report of the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, zero cases of measles were registered in 2015 (Florida Health, 2016b). Only four cases of the disease are expected to occur in 2016 (Florida Health, 2016b). Therefore, it is safe to say that measles does not seriously affect Miami-Dade County. However, immunization, as the most effective preventive method, along with the educational efforts should remain the main instruments of the Miami-Dade County Health Department in the process of sustaining low incidence rates of the disease (ODPHP, 2016). According to the data presented by CDC, almost 92 percent of kids are being vaccinated against the disease before they reach the age of three (2016). Therefore, the concerted efforts of both governmental and public bodies are needed in order to promote the vaccination against immunization-preventable illnesses.

Tetanus

Tetanus is a contagious disease that is caused by an infectious bacteria called Clostridium tetani (CDC, 2013). The infectious agent is usually present in the ground, dust and animal feces (CDC, 2013). The contact with “breaks in skin” such as wounds and sores polluted with dirt, manure or saliva, puncture wounds, blisters, injuries and other types of skin infraction is the common way the bacteria can get into a body (CDC, 2013).

According to the monthly epidemiological report of the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, zero cases of tetanus were registered in 2014 and 2015 (Florida Health, 2016b). Therefore, it can be concluded that the illness does not affect the community in any meaningful way. Nonetheless, information about tetanus and the proper use of vaccination should be disseminated by governmental and public organizations.

Conclusion

The Healthy People 2020 program helps to promote high standards of life without debilitating diseases, injuries and premature mortality in all communities. It also supports the high quality of living and promotes healthy behaviors at different stages of human life (CDC, 2015a).