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Press Release on health-related topics.

Trust for America’s Health Conducts Social Media Awareness Campaign in Support of Emergency Funding for Zika Prevention and Response

September 12, 2016

Washington, D.C., September 12, 2016 –Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) has released the first in a series of creative cartoons and editorials in support of emergency funding to prevent, mitigate and respond to the disastrous effects of Zika.

The first editorial details the price of inaction, concluding that “with broad support from the American people, it’s time for our leaders to decide whether to heed the warnings and invest in solutions now, or leave the country with a devastating bill later.” The first image is available for anyone to use on Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms.

“Unfortunately, considerable Zika-related damage has already been done to our nation—and it is likely irreversible,” said Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO of TFAH. “Our nation’s failure to act severely hampers the full response that is greatly needed. However, the sooner we do act, the sooner we can prevent further damage and destruction to our nation’s most vulnerable: our newborns.”

During the next few weeks, TFAH will release additional editorials and cartoons to underscore the urgent need for the nation to provide support for communities to prevent, control and mitigate complications arising from Zika.

“Without additional support, health departments and communities are on their own. Either resources will be shifted from other pressing needs or communities will have insufficient means to perform mosquito testing, infection prevention, disease tracking and other actions to protect against this devastating virus,” said Hamburg.

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

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New Report Finds Adult Obesity Rates Decreased in Four States

Obesity Rates Remain High: 25 States have Adult Obesity Rates above 30 Percent

 

Washington, D.C., September 1, 2016 – U.S. adult obesity rates decreased in four states (Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio), increased in two (Kansas and Kentucky) and remained stable in the rest, between 2014 and 2015, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). This marks the first time in the past decade that any states have experienced decreases – aside from a decline in Washington, D.C. in 2010.

Despite these modest gains, obesity continued to put millions of Americans at increased risk for a range of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, and costs the country between $147 billion and $210 billion each year.

In 2015, Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 20.2 percent. While rates remained steady for most states, they are still high across the board. The 13th annual report found that rates of obesity now exceed 35 percent in four states, are at or above 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. In 1991, no state had a rate above 20 percent.  The analyses are based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

The State of Obesity also found that:

  • 9 of the 11 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South and 22 of the 25 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South and Midwest.
  • 10 of the 12 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South.
  • American Indian/Alaska Natives have an adult obesity rate of 42.3 percent.
  • Adult obesity rates are at or above 40 percent for Blacks in 14 states.
  • Adult obesity rates are at or above 30 percent in: 40 states and Washington, D.C. for Blacks; 29 states for Latinos; and 16 states for Whites.

There is some evidence that the rate of increase has been slowing over the past decade.  For instance, in 2005, 49 states experienced an increase; in 2008, 37 states did; in 2010, 28 states did; in 2011, 16 states did; in 2012, only one state did; and in 2014, only two states did. (Note: the methodology for BRFSS changed in 2011).

In addition, recent national data show that childhood obesity rates have stabilized at 17 percent over the past decade. Rates are declining among 2- to 5-year-olds, stable among 6- to 11-year-olds, and increasing among 12- to 19-year-olds. There are significant racial and ethnic inequities, with rates higher among Latino (21.9 percent) and Black (19.5 percent) children than among White (14.7 percent) children.

“Obesity remains one of the most significant epidemics our country has faced, contributing to millions of preventable illnesses and billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs,” said Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO, TFAH. “These new data suggest that we are making some progress but there’s more yet to do. Across the country, we need to fully adopt the high-impact strategies recommended by numerous experts. Improving nutrition and increasing activity in early childhood, making healthy choices easier in people’s daily lives and targeting the startling inequities are all key approaches we need to ramp up.”

Some other findings from the report include:

  • The number of high school students who drink one or more soda a day has dropped by nearly 40 percent since 2007, to around one in five (20.4 percent) (note: does not include sport/energy drinks, diet sodas or water with added sugars).
  • The number of high school students who report playing video or computer games three or more hours a day has increased more than 88 percent since 2003 (from 22.1 to 41.7 percent).
  • More than 29 million children live in “food deserts,” and more than 15 million children live in “food-insecure” households with not enough to eat and limited access to healthy food.
  • The federal government has provided more than $90 million via 44 Healthy Food Financing Initiative awards in 29 states since 2011, helping leverage more than $1 billion and create 2,500 jobs.
  • Farm-to-School programs now serve more than 42 percent of schools and 23.6 million children.
  • 18 states and Washington, D.C. require a minimum amount of time that elementary students must participate in physical education; 14 states and Washington, D.C. require a minimum amount for middle schoolers; and six states require a minimum amount for high schoolers.

The report also includes a set of priority policy recommendations to accelerate progress in addressing obesity:

  • Invest in Obesity Prevention: Providing adequate funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund and for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion/Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity would increase support to state and local health departments.
  • Focus on Early Childhood Policies and Programs: Supporting better health among young children through healthier meals, physical activity, limiting screen time and connecting families to community services through Head Start; prioritizing early childhood education opportunities under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); and implementing the updated nutrition standards covering the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
  • School-Based Policies and Programs: Continuing implementation of the final “Smart Snacks” rule for improved nutrition for snacks and beverages sold in schools; eliminating in-school marketing of foods that do not meet Smart Snacks nutrition standards; and leveraging opportunities to support health, physical education and activity under ESSA.
  • Community-Based Policies and Programs: Prioritizing health in transportation planning to help communities ensure residents have access to walking, biking, and other forms of active transportation and promoting innovative strategies, such as tax credits, zoning incentives, grants, low-interest loans and public-private partnerships to increase access to healthy, affordable foods.
  • Health, Healthcare and Obesity: Covering the full range of obesity prevention, treatment and management services under all public and private health plans, including nutrition counseling, medications and behavioral health consultation, along with encouraging an uptake in services for all eligible beneficiaries.

“This year’s State of Obesity report is an urgent call to action for government, industry, healthcare, schools, child care and families around the country to join in the effort to provide a brighter, healthier future for our children. It focuses on important lessons and signs of progress, but those efforts must be significantly scaled to see a bigger turn around,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of RWJF. “Together, we can build an inclusive Culture of Health and ensure that all children and families live healthy lives.”

The State of Obesity report (formerly known as F as in Fat), with state rankings and interactive maps, charts and graphs, is available at http://stateofobesity.org. Follow the conversation at #StateofObesity.

2015 STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RATES

Based on an analysis of new state-by-state data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, adult obesity rates by state from highest to lowest were:

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity.

1. Louisiana (36.2); 2. (tie) Alabama (35.6), Mississippi (35.6) and West Virginia (35.6); 5. Kentucky (34.6); 6. Arkansas (34.5); 7. Kansas (34.2); 8. Oklahoma (33.9); 9. Tennessee (33.8); 10. (tie) Missouri (32.4) and Texas (32.4); 12. Iowa (32.1); 13. South Carolina (31.7); 14. Nebraska (31.4); 15. Indiana (31.3); 16. Michigan (31.2); 17. North Dakota (31.0); 18. Illinois (30.8); 19. (tie) Georgia (30.7) and Wisconsin (30.7); 21. South Dakota (30.4); 22. (tie) North Carolina (30.1) and Oregon (30.1); 24. (tie) Maine (30.0) and Pennsylvania (30.0); 26. (tie) Alaska (29.8) and Ohio (29.8); 28. Delaware (29.7); 29. Virginia (29.2); 30. Wyoming (29.0); 31. Maryland (28.9); 32. New Mexico (28.8); 33. Idaho (28.6); 34. Arizona (28.4); 35. Florida (26.8); 36. Nevada (26.7); 37. Washington (26.4); 38. New Hampshire (26.3); 39. Minnesota (26.1); 40. Rhode Island (26.0); 41. New Jersey (25.6); 42. Connecticut (25.3); 43. Vermont (25.1); 44. New York (25.0); 45. Utah (24.5); 46. Massachusetts (24.3); 47. California (24.2); 48. Montana (23.6); 49. Hawaii (22.7); 50. District of Columbia (22.1); 51. Colorado (20.2).

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Trust for America‘s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook. 

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TFAH Statement on Congress Failing to Provide Funding for the Zika Response

Washington, D.C., July 14, 2016 –Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is extremely disappointed that Congress was unable to reach agreement on a Zika response funding package. The following is a statement from Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO of TFAH.

“By the time Congress returns in a couple of months, the damage to our nation from Zika will likely be irreversible. This failure to act severely hampers the full response that is greatly needed.

The crisis has already reached our shores—this week a baby was born in Texas with Zika-related microcephaly. In addition, public health officials are tracking 320 pregnant women in the continental United States with Zika infections—and there could be hundreds more who have not shown symptoms or have not been identified. In Puerto Rico alone, 2,800 people have already been confirmed to be infected, with expectations that 20 percent of the population could eventually be infected.

Without additional funding, health departments and communities are on their own. Either resources will be shifted from other pressing needs or communities will have insufficient means to perform mosquito testing, infection prevention, disease tracking and other actions.

In addition, vital research on new vaccines, diagnostics and treatments may stop. While this will undoubtedly have short-term consequences, this failure has the potential to cause drastic future problems as researchers find government an unreliable partner in supporting innovation.

Since the White House sent its request to Congress in February, TFAH has worked with a broad coalition of stakeholders in advocating for Congressional action. This coalition includes March of Dimes, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and many others.

Unfortunately—while Congress is on recess—the need for emergency funding will not diminish. In fact, it will increase. Congress must put politics aside and act.”

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

TFAH Opposes the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Plan; Urges Congress to Pursue a Balanced Approach to Deficit Reduction

March 15, 2016

Washington, D.C., March 15, 2016 –Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is disappointed by the proposed U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee resolution. The following is a statement from Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO of TFAH:

“The budget resolution, released by the House Budget Committee, would likely have disastrous consequences for our nation’s health by proposing to cut domestic programs by almost $900 billion over the next decade.

For nearly 10 years, federal public health funding has remained relatively flat. Enacting a budget resolution that further cuts our nation’s investments in prevention and public health would leave Americans less happy, healthy and productive and more susceptible to public health emergencies such as Zika or antibiotic-resistant Superbugs.

Investing in disease prevention is the most effective, common-sense way to improve health. Instead of pushing even more cuts to vital public health programs, TFAH urges Congress to work together to enact a balanced approach to deficit reduction that will replace sequester and the current budget caps to permit adequate investments in public health and other domestic programs that keep Americans healthy, safe and secure.”

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

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TFAH Calls for Additional Policies, Research, Funding and Public Health Capacity to Prepare for Zika and Other Emerging Outbreaks

February 11, 2016

Washington, D.C., February 11, 2016 – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) calls on U.S. policymakers to take additional steps to respond to the Zika virus in the Americas and its potential continued spread in the United States.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that there will likely be more cases within the U.S., but at this time they do not believe there will be the kind of widespread outbreaks here as there have been in South America.

President Obama has requested $1.8 billion in emergency funding in his Fiscal Year 2017 budget to prepare for and respond to the Zika virus. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies is holding a hearing today to review the request. TFAH supports the request for emergency funding, but emphasizes the need for consistent support for the nation’s public health infrastructure.

“The reports that the Zika virus may be related to a steep increase in birth defects in infants born to mothers who were infected during pregnancy in areas of the Americas are frightening,” said Richard Hamburg, Interim President and CEO of TFAH.  “While scientists and public health officials are still learning about the virus and the threat it poses to the public’s health, what we do know is that Zika, Ebola, MERS-CoV and other public health threats require constant vigilance. We simply can’t jump from one supplemental funding vehicle to another as a substitute for true public health capacity. There is a lot more the country could be doing to be better prepared for the range of threats we face.”     

Although not a new virus, 2015 marked the first widespread transmission of the Zika virus in the Americas. The virus is spread primarily by mosquitoes and usually causes only mild illness or no symptoms, but experts are investigating how it is linked to the rise in birth defects in infants born to mothers who were infected during pregnancy and to cases of Guillaun-Barré syndrome. In January 2016, CDC warned women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant to avoid travel to regions and countries with widespread Zika transmission or to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes there. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Zika virus and its suspected link to birth defects a public health emergency of international concern.

In response to the Zika virus and other emerging health threats, TFAH recommends the need for:

  • Policies and communications driven by best available science: When a situation is uncertain and evolving, accompanied by a great deal of fear in the community, policy and communications decisions must be based on the best available science. In recent outbreaks, some policies, such as quarantine decisions, may have been driven by fear or politics. Policymakers should work with public health on risk communications and policies that acknowledge concern among the public and ensure accurate, appropriate information.
  • Support for research and development of medical countermeasures: There is an urgent need for diagnostics, treatments and vaccines for Zika and other emerging threats. Congress should provide adequate funds to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the Strategic National Stockpile and Project BioShield to accelerate development, purchase and stockpiling of medical countermeasures for public health emergencies.
  • Public health capacity to detect and contain the virus in the U.S.:  Federal, state and local health departments must receive a sufficient, stable annual level of funding to meet and maintain a core set of capabilities to respond to emerging and ongoing threats. Modern laboratory, epidemiological and surveillance capacity, as well as the ability to distribute medical countermeasures if needed, are key to containing an infectious disease threat. The Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement is an important source of funding for the domestic preparedness infrastructure.
  • Enhanced health system preparedness for infectious diseases: We must build all-hazards preparedness and infection control protocols into the healthcare delivery system, including coordination between healthcare facilities and with public health and enabling providers to screen and respond to potential cases. The Hospital Preparedness Program provides vital support to the healthcare preparedness system, but funding has dwindled in recent years.
  • Strengthening the global health infrastructure: Infectious disease control strategies rely on the ability to detect and contain diseases as quickly as possible – which means working with other countries and across borders to contain threats globally. The United States must provide ongoing support for the Global Health Security Agenda and activities such as CDC’s Global Disease Detection program, which build the capacity and coordination needed to identify and contain emerging infectious diseases around the world.

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

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Trust for America’s Health Statement on Supreme Court stay of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan

Washington, D.C., February 9, 2016 – The following is a statement from Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to stay implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Power Plan pending final legal resolution.

“Tonight’s decision by the Supreme Court to stay the EPA’s Clean Power Plan pending resolution of ongoing litigation is extremely disappointing. The Supreme Court has already previously ruled in favor of EPA’s endangerment finding that carbon pollution poses a threat to human health and therefore is subject to the federal bipartisan Clean Air Act. TFAH believes the Clean Power Plan as proposed and finalized by the EPA, in close consultation via the rulemaking process with the general public and all affected stakeholders, is on a firm legal foundation.

Climate change poses serious public health concerns — from natural disasters to reduced water resources to new insect-based infectious diseases associated with higher temperatures to worsening air quality to the effects of the extreme weather we’ve seen across the country over the past several years.  Further unnecessary delay of the Clean Power Plan will only exacerbate the dangerous public health challenges we face as a nation.”

TFAH Calls for Urgent Action in Flint, MI, Jackson, MS and Renewed National Priority on Environmental Health

Washington, D.C., February 2, 2016 – The following is a statement by Gail C. Christopher, D.N., board chair of the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and vice president for policy and senior advisor at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation:

“The Trust for America’s Health lends its voice to the call for urgent action to be taken to protect the health of the citizens of Flint, Michigan and for immediate, rapid assessment of the water in Jackson, Mississippi.

Every possible step must be taken to provide clean, safe water to every community on a permanent basis.  But that’s not enough; sufficient resources must be available to provide for the lifelong health needs of those harmed.  Poisoning from lead and other contaminants have severe consequences – especially for young children and pregnant women – including putting babies and children at high risk for serious developmental, neurobehavioral and cognitive delays.

An appropriate response requires not only short-term medical care, but ongoing, intensive health, social service and educational support.  Members of the community must be an equal partner in the response and plans moving forward.  The Flint tragedy was created by looking to solve problems on the cheap at the expense of the health of the city.  It is a national responsibility to now commit to long-term, sustained solutions to improve the future of the city.  We must never turn our backs on them again.

The Flint fiasco also is a clarion call to re-examine and renew our nation’s environmental health policies and practices.  Of course, the fact that 40 percent of the people of Flint live at or below the poverty line and 56 percent are Black makes this situation particularly troubling – and, as raised in the New York Times last month, issues of environmental justice and racism must be at the top of the agenda.

We must not let tragedies go unanswered.  It is time to take action on long-neglected environmental health concerns – and make them a national priority.  TFAH is committed to redoubling efforts to improve environmental health and is committed to working with policymakers, partners and the public on a range of top concerns, including:

Ensuring families have safe, healthy homes and communities:  Currently millions of families live in conditions that adversely impact their health.  In 2009, the Surgeon General issued a call to Action To Promote Healthy Homes, identifying health concerns and evidence-based policies for prevention, such as improving air quality, carbon monoxide poisoning prevention, radon gas mitigation, reducing allergens and asthma, improving water quality, reducing harmful chemicals, preventing elevated lead levels, reducing disparities in access to healthy and safe homes, addressing community factors that affect health and homes and housing instability.

Assuring clean water for all Americans:  In addition to lead being an ongoing problem in the drinking water in some communities, waterborne illnesses overall still pose a serious threat generally.  Despite advances in water management and even though water-related illnesses are largely unreported unless they are severe, each year around 30 outbreaks and 1,000 reported drinking water-related cases and around 24 outbreaks and 1,300 recreational water-related cases occur.  Measures like the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Rule help improve and restore guaranteed protection of safe water availability.

Eliminating lead poisoning in children:  Through contaminated water and lead paint (which still remains in some older, low-income urban housing, but banned from use in 1978), around 2.6 percent of children ages 1 to 5 (535,000 nationwide) have elevated levels of lead in their blood.  Some U.S. water systems still have levels of lead contamination and an estimated 24 million Americans, including 4 million young children, are estimated to face significant lead-based paint exposure.  Rates of lead poisoning are significantly higher for children living in poverty or very low-income homes (4.4 percent) and are highest among Black children (5.6 percent).  Public health efforts – including improving water systems, lead paint remediation and required screening of exposure in children — have helped reduce lead poisoning levels by 70 percent since 1990.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates it can cost $5,600 for just the medical and special education needs per year per child with lead poisoning.  The return on investment for lead control programs found that for every dollar spent, $17 to $221 is returned in health benefits, increased intelligence quotient (IQ), higher lifetime earnings, tax revenue, reduced spending on special education and reduced criminal activity, resulting in a potential net benefit of $181 billion to $269 billion.

Reducing asthma:  Around one in 11 American children currently have asthma, which can be triggered by pollen, mold, animal dander, cockroaches, rodents and dust mites — and children are at greater risk to these threats if they live in a household where they experience regular exposure to them.  In the past decade, asthma rates have increased by nearly 15 percent, growing by more than 50 percent among Black children.  Efforts to reduce triggers via home remediation services and housing support options can greatly reduce numbers of asthma attacks and recurring emergency room visits.  For instance, a Boston Community Asthma Initiative led to a return of $1.46 to insurers/society for every $1 invested.  In addition, EPA’s Clean Air Act and similar rules can help lower emissions rates of a number of air pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, dioxins, volatile organic compounds, acid gases, heavy metals, smog and soot, which in turn reduce not only asthma and respiratory episodes, but also premature mortality, chronic bronchitis and heart attacks.

  • More than 12 percent of children in families living in poverty have asthma, compared to 8.2 percent of middle and higher income families.  More than 16 percent of Black children, 16.5 percent of Puerto Rican children, and 10 percent of American Indian and Native Alaskan children have asthma.  It is the second most costly medical condition among children, at nearly $12 billion, and it contributes to more than 10.5 million missed school days annually. In May 2012, the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health and Safety Risks to Children released a Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities, a three- to five-year partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and EPA.

Limiting exposure to environmental hazards, including pollution, toxic chemicals, contaminated water and food and waste from landfills:  Exposure to environmental toxins can have a negative impact on health, particularly for children.  Even relatively low levels of exposure contribute to lower birth weights, lower test scores and lower lifelong earning potential.  Low-income housing is more likely to be located close to sources of pollution.  Black and less educated women are more likely to live within 200 meters of Superfund hazardous waste sites or factories emitting toxic releases.  Superfund cleanups have been linked to a reduction of incidence in cognitive anomalies in infants by around 20 percent.  Lead has been found at 75 percent of National Priority List (NPL) Superfund sites.

Expanding research on the connection between the environment and health, including a National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network:  While there are clear connections showing the negative impact of lead, mercury and many other toxins on health, more research is needed to better understand the impact and scope of different environmental factors on health – and/or to disprove potential theories.  A better research system could provide “early warning” information about environmental-exposure emergencies, such as in Flint.  With initial funding, CDC created a pilot system in 20 states to study disease and health problem patterns in different communities.  Today, the Tracking program funds 26 state and local health departments. Additional resources are needed to build out the system to better identify the connections and causes of many diseases and to expand to all states.  A fully functioning Tracking Network holds the potential to help unlock a range of medical mysteries, including a better understanding of patterns related to autism, some forms of birth defects and the impact of pollution on asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

  • Exposure to some chemicals have been shown to increase the risk of a child developing developmental disabilities. These chemicals include alcohol, arsenic, lead, manganese, mercury, nicotine, pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and solvents.”

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

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Trust for America’s Health Statement on Bipartisan Senate Agriculture Committee Compromise on Child Nutrition Reauthorization

Washington, D.C., January 19, 2016 – The following is a statement from Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO of the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), on the bipartisan compromise legislation introduced earlier this week by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

“The Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016 is an important step toward ensuring healthier nutrition for all of the nation’s children.  We applaud the committee leadership and staff for their hard work in achieving a compromise that will build on the important accomplishments that were made in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Around 15.5 million children experience food insecurity each year, with their access to adequate food and nutrition limited due to cost, proximity and/or other resources. At the same time, 17 percent of children are obese.  There’s clearly still a lot of work to do to ensure this generation of children receive the support they need to thrive.  In our annual State of Obesity report, TFAH highlights programs and policies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and in states and localities that can help ensure all children have the chance to grow up with good nutrition.  We know what works – but we need to keep moving forward and increasing support to realize the promise of these efforts.

This bill advances some important improvements by increasing investments in school kitchen equipment, Farm-to-School programs and other programs that help feed kids outside of traditional school settings. Unfortunately, there are some provisions in the bill that are not ideal and deviate from the evidence-base, such as not requiring 100 percent whole grains in school meals. But, on balance, the bill represents continued progress in the right direction.

We urge members of Congress to move forward with markup and embrace the spirit of compromise embodied in this legislation. TFAH stands ready to work with policymakers and partners to help ensure reauthorization legislation is best able to support our children, their families and schools.”

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

TFAH Applauds the Obama Administration for Showing Strong Support for Increased Collaboration between the Health and Education Sectors

Washington, D.C., January 15, 2016 – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) applauds the Obama Administration for showing strong support for increased collaboration and coordination between the health and education sectors. The following is a statement from Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO, TFAH and co-chair of the National Collaborative for Education and Health.

“The release of the Healthy Students, Promising Futures toolkit and joint letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education is an important step in ensuring all of the nation’s children can succeed in school and life.

Healthy children are more prepared to learn, and academic success puts children on track for healthier and more productive lives.  The toolkit importantly recognizes the inextricable link between health and education — and provides communities with ways to take action to help this generation of children thrive.

TFAH, as a co-founder with Healthy Schools Campaign of the National Collaborative for Education and Health, is excited to see real, high-impact opportunities to improve joint outcomes – including through:

  • Ensuring children have health coverage;
  • Expanding reimbursable health services available in schools;
  • Supporting wrap-around case management for at-risk students–including addressing health conditions and exposure to violence or trauma and toxic stress–to remove barriers to learning;
  • Promoting nutrition, physical activity and health education; and
  • Improved assessments of local community needs and building of partnerships across schools, hospitals, public health departments and others to provide services and programs that can better meet those needs.

We look forward to working with the Administration and state and local communities to support greater adoption and implementation of the Healthy Students, Promising Futures opportunities – and continuing to build toward a vision of healthy schools and communities for our children.”

 

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

Report Finds Major Gaps in Country’s Ability to Prevent and Control Infectious Disease Outbreaks

28 States and Washington, D.C. Reach Half or Fewer of Key Indicators

Washington, D.C., December 17, 2015 – A new report released today found that more than half (28) of states score a five or lower out of 10 key indicators related to preventing, detecting, diagnosing and responding to outbreaks. The report, from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), concluded that the United States must redouble efforts to better protect the country from new infectious disease threats, such as MERS-CoV and antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and resurging illnesses like whooping cough, tuberculosis and gonorrhea.

Five states—Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, New York and Virginia—tied for the top score, achieving eight out of 10 indicators. Seven states—Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah—tied for the lowest score at three out of 10.

“The overuse of antibiotics and underuse of vaccinations along with unstable and insufficient funding have left major gaps in our country’s ability to prepare for infectious disease threats,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. “We cannot afford to continue to be complacent. Infectious diseases – which are largely preventable – disrupt the lives of millions of Americans and contribute to billions of dollars in unnecessary healthcare costs each year.”

Some key findings from the Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases report include:

  • Healthcare-associated Infections: Around one out of every 25 people who are hospitalized each year contracts a healthcare-associated infection, leading to some 75,000 deaths a year.
    • Only nine states reduced the standardized infection ratio (SIR) for central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) between 2012 and 2013.
  • Childhood Vaccinations: In 2014, there were more than 600 cases of measles and nearly 33,000 cases of whooping cough reported. While more than 90 percent of all U.S. kindergarteners receive all recommended vaccinations, rates are lower in a number of communities and states. More than 28 percent of preschoolers do not receive all recommended vaccinations.
    • 20 states have laws that either exclude philosophical exemptions entirely or require a parental notarization or affidavit to achieve a religious or philosophical exemption for school attendance.
  • Flu Vaccinations: Based on the severity of the strain, the flu can cause 3,000 to 49,000 deaths a year, more than $10 billion in direct medical expenses and more than $16 billion in lost earnings.
    • 18 states vaccinated at least half of their population (ages 6 months and older) for the seasonal flu from Fall 2014 to Spring 2015. The national average is 47.1 percent. Rates are lowest among young and middle age adults (only 38 percent of 18- to 64-year-olds are vaccinated).
  • Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS: Of the more than 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, almost one in eight do not know they are infected. Hepatitis C infections—related to a rise in heroin and injection drug use from people transitioning from prescription painkillers—increased more than 150 percent from 2010 to 2013.
    • 16 states and Washington, D.C. explicitly authorize syringe exchange programs.
    • 43 states and Washington, D.C. require reporting all (detectable and undetectable) CD4 cell count (a type of white blood cell) and HIV viral load data to their state HIV surveillance program, as of July 2013.
  • Food Safety: Around 48 million Americans get sick from a foodborne illness each year.
    • 39 states met the national performance target of testing 90 percent of E.coli O157 cases within four days (in 2013).
  • Preparing for Emerging Threats: Significant advances have been made in preparing for public health emergencies, including potential bioterror or natural disease outbreaks, since the September 11, 2001 and anthrax attacks. Gaps remain, however, and have been exacerbated as resources have been cut.
    • 36 states have a biosafety professional in their state public health laboratories – which are responsible for helping detect, diagnose and contain disease outbreaks.
    • 15 states have completed climate change adaption plans that include the impact on human health.
  • Superbugs: More than two million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections each year, leading in excess of 23,000 deaths, $20 billion in direct medical costs and more than $35 billion in lost productivity.

“America’s investments in infectious disease prevention ebb and flow, leaving our nation challenged to sufficiently address persistent problems,” said Paul Kuehnert, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation director. “We need to reboot our approach so we support the health of every community by being ready when new infectious threats emerge.”

The Outbreaks report features priority recommendations, including:

  • Increase resources to ensure every state can maintain and modernize basic capabilities – such as epidemiology and laboratory abilities – that are needed to respond to new and ongoing outbreaks;
  • Update disease surveillance to be real-time and interoperable across communities and health systems to better detect, track and contain disease threats;
  • Incentivize the development of new medicines and vaccines, and ensure systems are in place to effectively distribute them when needed;
  • Decrease antibiotic overuse and increase vaccination rates;
  • Improve and maintain the ability of the health system to be prepared for a range of potential threats – such as an influx of patients during a widespread outbreak or the containment of a novel, highly infectious organism that requires specialty care;
  • Strengthen efforts and policies to reduce healthcare-associated infections;
  • Take strong measures to contain the rising hepatitis C epidemic and other sexually transmitted infections, particularly among young adults; and
  • Adopt modern strategies to end AIDS in every state and city.

The indicators represent examples of important capabilities, policies and trends, and were selected in consultation with leading public health and healthcare officials.

Score Summary: 

A full list of all of the indicators and scores and the full report are available on TFAH’s website. For the state-by-state scoring, states received one point for achieving an indicator or zero points if they did not achieve the indicator, with zero the lowest possible overall score and 10 the highest. The data for the indicators are from publicly available sources or were provided from public officials.

8 out of 10: Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, New York and Virginia

7 out of 10: Alaska, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Nebraska

6 out of 10: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin

5 out of 10: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington

4 out of 10: Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming

3 out of 10: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah

 

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

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