Healthy People 2020 was launched in 2010 by the Department of Health and Human Services with the aim of promoting equality in health, minimizing disparities in care delivery, and ensuring that more people attain longer. Different communities in Florida such as Miami (Zip Code: 33146) have implemented adequate initiatives to deal with communicable diseases and support the Healthy People 2020 program. This discussion explains how HIV/AIDS, influenza A, and tuberculosis affect Miami city. The paper also describes how the community deals with these communicable illnesses.
Communicable Illnesses
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease that affects around 600 people in Florida (“The Florida Department of Health,” 2017). However, the number of patients has been increasing at an annual rate of 6 percent. Affected individuals in Miami are usually unable to achieve their goals in life. The disease claims a small percentage of citizens in the community. Although the disease rate is quite low in the state, efforts have been implemented to contain it and support the Healthy People 2020 agenda (“About Healthy People,” n.d.). The state has developed a number of programs to survey and deal with the condition. The current program in the state is known as the Florida System Tuberculosis Care (“The Florida Department of Health,” 2017). The program’s agenda is informed by the Healthy People 2020’s goals and objectives.
Through the Florida Department of Health, the state has been able to promote surveillance activities, implement disease management plans, and empower more people to tackle the illness. Statistics are gathered annually to monitor the rate of infection. The collected information is used to develop appropriate action plans to mitigate this condition (“Leading health indicators,” n.d.). Such plans bring together different stakeholders, agencies, organizations, and policymakers to support every initiative aimed at dealing with tuberculosis.
Influenza A
The state of Florida is affected by this communicable disease. Influenza A is known to spread when people sneeze or cough. A moderately severe influenza is experienced in this state every year. The department of health came up with the Florida ILINet Influenza Surveillance program to appraise the prevalence of the condition. The program brings together Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida State Health Department Bureau of Epidemiology to monitor and report incidences of influenza (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.).
In Miami, affected people find it impossible to pursue or complete their activities. They are also forced to seek immediate medical support. Flu infection has been associated with hospitalization. The disease has also been one of the causes of death. The state’s health department has been focusing on the goals and objectives of the Healthy People 2020 to support the health needs of every citizen (“About Healthy People,” n.d.). This move has led to a number of action plans to deal with influenza.
The first action plan is the formation of the Florida ILINet Influence Surveillance. The state recruits sentinel providers to support the existing surveillance system. Volunteers are usually attracted to support the disease management process. The second one is EpiCom (Florida’s electronic communication system). This plan is used to monitor the disease and inform more citizens about the best preventative measures (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Campaigns are also organized to encourage more individuals to get vaccinated and seek medical support whenever necessary.
HIV/AIDS
In Miami, HIV remains one of the leading communicable diseases affecting many citizens. The illness is making it hard for many patients to achieve their potential. For instance, people who die from HIV/AIDS leave behind many orphans. Others are unable to pursue their objectives especially during the last stages of the disease. The community is also forced to divert its resources to deal with this epidemic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). The most astonishing fact is that the number of new infections is on the increase.
The community is supported by various initiatives undertaken by the Florida’s Department of Health. The department engages in constant surveillance to gather useful epidemiological data in Miami. Latest statistics indicate that individuals aged between 20 and 40 are affected the most. The Florida Department of Health operates a HIV/AIDS Section whose agenda is to educate more people about the disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Action plans are implemented to ensure patients receive appropriate drugs to improve the quality of their lives. Confidential services for HIV are also offered in Miami. Online platforms are also available whereby individuals can get involved and share ideas with each other. Such measures and actions explain why the state is fulfilling most of the goals outlined by the Healthy People 2020.
Conclusion
The above epidemiological information and surveillance data show clearly the Miami is affected by various communicable illnesses. Influenza A, tuberculosis, and AIDS continue to disorient the lives of many Miamians. Fortunately, the implemented action plans have made it easier for the community to deal with the diseases and improve the welfare of many people. Consequently, the efforts continue to support the objectives and goals of the Healthy People 2020.
References
About Healthy People. (n.d.).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Today’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Influenza (flu).
The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County is united to end TB. (2017). Web.
Leading health indicators. (n.d.).