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March 2024
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Press Release on health-related topics.
Public Health Girding for Funding Challenges in 2024
(Washington DC – February /March 2024)
The Nation’s Health
Barely a year after the official end to the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic emergency — and the increased attention to public health that came with it — public health advocates are bracing for cuts.
Beginning in 2020, health departments experienced an influx of federal emergency dollars to respond to the deadly pandemic and address the gaps it exposed, such as serious workforce shortages and outdated information technology. Even as advocates urge policymakers to allocate sustained, adequate funding, many see a funding cliff on the horizon and waning appetites among lawmakers to prioritize public health.
Reciente informe mide la preparación de los estados ante emergencias y recomienda la implementación de ciertas políticas para reforzar la preparación a nivel nacional
Una sección especial examina los efectos que genera el calor extremo sobre la salud y los riesgos desproporcionados para determinados grupos de la población
(Washington, DC – 14 de marzo de 2024) – El informe de “Ready or Not 2024: Protección de la Salud Pública Ante Enfermedades, Catástrofes y Bioterrorismo,” publicado hoy por Trust for America’s Health, identifica las principales fallas en la preparación nacional y estatal respecto a la protección sanitaria de los residentes durante situaciones de emergencias y hace recomendaciones para mejorar la preparación de la nación ante emergencias.
A medida que el país experimenta un número creciente de brotes de enfermedades infecciosas y fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, el informe concluye que, si bien la preparación para emergencias ha mejorado en algunas áreas, las autoridades responsables en este tipo de políticas no tienen en cuenta las lecciones de emergencias pasadas, los recortes de financiación y la desinformación sanitaria están poniendo en peligro décadas de progreso en la preparación de la salud pública.
Basándose en nueve indicadores, el informe clasifica a los estados y al Distrito de Columbia en tres niveles de preparación: alto, medio y bajo. El informe de este año sitúa a 21 estados y al Distrito de Columbia en el nivel de rendimiento alto, a 13 estados en el nivel de rendimiento medio y a 16 estados en el nivel de rendimiento bajo.
A medida que el país experimenta un número creciente de brotes de enfermedades infecciosas y fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, el informe revela que, si bien la preparación para emergencias ha mejorado en algunas áreas, los responsables políticos que no tienen en cuenta las lecciones aprendidas de emergencias pasadas, los recortes de financiación y la desinformación sanitaria están poniendo en peligro décadas de progreso en la preparación de la salud pública.
Nivel alto – 21 estados y DC
AL, AZ, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, KS, MA, ME, MS, NC, NE, NJ, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA
Nivel medio – 13 estados
AR, DE, IA, ID, IL, MD, MO, MT, NH, NM, OK, UT, WI
Nivel bajo – 16 estados
AK, CA, HI, IN, KY, LA, MI, MN, ND, NV, NY, OR, SD, TX, WV, WY
El informe está diseñado para proporcionar a los responsables políticos datos y puntos de referencia para mejorar la preparación de sus jurisdicciones mediante una inversión nueva y sostenida en infraestructuras de salud pública, sistemas de datos modernos, un personal de salud pública más numeroso y diverso, la colaboración entre los sistemas de salud pública y de atención sanitaria, así como la capacidad de ambos sistemas para generar una pronta respuesta ante emergencias. Otras áreas de responsabilidad del sistema de salud pública son la mejora del acceso a las vacunas y el control de la seguridad de los sistemas municipales de abastecimiento de agua.
La Dra. J. Nadine Gracia, presidenta y CEO de Trust for America’s Health comenta, “Este informe subraya la necesidad de una inversión integral a nivel de infraestructura y preparación de salud pública, destacando la importancia de los efectos desproporcionados tras la falta de inversión en el sector de la salud pública en comunidades de color y otros grupos que han sido igualmente desatendidos y marginados.” Las recientes emergencias de salud pública, desde los incendios forestales hasta los brotes de enfermedades infecciosas, no sólo revelan la necesidad imperiosa de un sistema de salud pública modernizado, sino que también expone el vínculo intrínseco entre la salud general de una comunidad y su capacidad de resistencia durante una emergencia. Es primordial enfocarse en eliminar las disparidades sanitarias y avanzar en el tema de la equidad sanitaria, para lograr frenar el aumento de las enfermedades crónicas y mejorar la preparación de la nación ante las emergencias.”
La sección especial del informe analiza los crecientes riesgos para la salud derivados del calor extremo, incluso para grupos de población concretos: personas que viven en comunidades con pocos recursos, personas que viven en islas de calor urbanas o sin aire acondicionado, personas que trabajan al aire libre, personas con enfermedades crónicas, embarazadas, bebés, niños y adultos mayores. En el 2022, murieron más personas en Estados Unidos a causa del calor extremo que por cualquier otro tipo de fenómeno meteorológico.
El reporte presenta tanto los hallazgos en el área en las áreas fuertes del sistema de preparación de emergencia en el tema sanitario nivel nacional y aquellas áreas que requieren atención:
Entre los ámbitos en los que se han obtenido buenos resultados figuran los siguientes:
- La mayoría de los estados han hecho preparativos para ampliar la capacidad de los laboratorios sanitarios y de salud pública en caso de emergencia. A finales de 2023, 39 estados participarán en el Pacto de Licencias de Enfermería, que ayuda a facilitar los esfuerzos de respuesta ante emergencias al permitir que los enfermeros trabajen en varios estados miembros, tanto en persona como a través de la telesalud, sin necesidad de licencias estatales adicionales. Además, 46 estados y el Distrito de Columbia cuentan con planes escritos para la ampliación de los servicios de laboratorio de salud pública durante las emergencias sanitarias.
- La mayoría de los estados (43) y el Distrito de Columbia están acreditados en las áreas de salud pública o gestión de emergencias, y muchos están acreditados en ambas.
- La mayoría de los estados (al menos 37) y el Distrito de Columbia mantuvieron o aumentaron su financiación de la salud pública durante el año fiscal 2023. La inversión estatal en salud pública es particularmente importante porque la mayor parte de la financiación federal en respuesta a la pandemia de COVID-19 fue temporal, financiación de una sola vez.
Las áreas que necesitan atención incluyen:
- Muy pocas personas se vacunan contra la gripe de temporada. Durante la temporada de gripe del 2022-2023, sólo el 49% de la población (a partir de los 6 meses de edad) se vacunó contra la gripe, muy por debajo del objetivo del 70% establecido por Healthy People 2030. Esta situación resulta ser preocupante para los expertos en salud pública, ya que la desinformación sobre la vacuna COVID-19 pueda estar afectando a la aceptación de otras vacunas.
- Aproximadamente sólo el 25% de los hospitales en condiciones severas en los estados, obtuvieron una calificación de máxima calidad en seguridad del paciente en otoño de 2023. Las puntuaciones de seguridad de los hospitales miden el rendimiento en cuestiones como las tasas de infecciones relacionadas con la atención sanitaria, la capacidad de cuidados intensivos y una cultura general de prevención de errores, todas ellas fundamentales para rendir al máximo durante las emergencias sanitarias.
- En promedio, solo el 55% de los trabajadores estadounidenses utilizaron tiempo libre remunerado durante el período comprendido entre marzo de 2018 y marzo de 2023. El acceso a tiempo libre remunerado es una medida importante de preparación porque los trabajadores que van a trabajar enfermos corren el riesgo de propagar infecciones en la fuerza de trabajo y en toda la comunidad.
Se necesita el implemento de ciertas políticas:
El informe contiene recomendaciones para acciones políticas en los sectores público y privado que crearían una preparación de salud pública más fuerte, incluyendo:
- El Congreso debería mejorar y modernizar la infraestructura de salud pública invirtiendo 4.500 millones de dólares al año para apoyar las capacidades básicas de salud pública a nivel federal, estatal, tribal, local y territorial, incluyendo inversiones en sistemas de datos y en el personal de salud pública.
- El Congreso debe concederle autonomía a los CDC y al Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS) de EE. UU. para recopilar datos de salud pública de manera oportuna y coordinada, en todas las jurisdicciones para garantizar la recopilación y notificación de datos oportuna, completa y desglosada. Todo esto ejecutado de manera conjunta, permitirá una detección y respuesta más rápida y eficaz a las emergencias sanitarias.
- Los responsables políticos deben dar prioridad a recuperar la confianza en los organismos y líderes de salud pública. Las decisiones políticas en materia de salud pública deben basarse siempre en los mejores datos científicos disponibles y no basarse en consideraciones políticas. Los organismos federales deben estar equipados para proporcionar orientaciones de salud pública oportunas y claras.
- El Congreso debería proporcionar al menos 1.100 millones de dólares al año para apoyar la infraestructura de vacunación y la distribución equitativa de vacunas. Los estados deberían reducir al mínimo las exenciones de vacunas para los escolares, y los centros sanitarios deberían aumentar las tasas de vacunación entre los trabajadores sanitarios.
- El Congreso debería aumentar significativamente las inversiones en iniciativas de salud pública para prevenir, detectar y contener la resistencia a los antimicrobianos.
- El Congreso y los estados deberían proporcionar permisos retribuidos con protección laboral para contener la propagación de brotes y proteger la salud.
- El Congreso debe proporcionar una ayuda financiera significativa, para impulsar medidas médicas de protección de la vida en caso de incidente nuclear, biológico o químico, trabajando en conjunto con el sector privado para planificar su distribución y dispensación cuando sea necesario.
- El Congreso, el HHS y los líderes sanitarios deberían reforzar la preparación y recuperación de la asistencia sanitaria, y los planificadores de emergencias estatales y locales deberían trabajar con el sector sanitario para integrar la prestación de asistencia sanitaria en la preparación y respuesta ante emergencias.
- El Congreso debería aumentar las inversiones en programas que identifiquen y mitiguen los efectos sobre la salud del cambio climático, los riesgos medioambientales y las condiciones meteorológicas extremas.
Lea el informe completo en: Ready or Not 2024: Protección de la Salud Pública Ante Enfermedades, Catástrofes y Bioterrorismo
Trust for America’s Health es una organización sin ánimo de lucro y no partidista que promueve una salud óptima para todas las personas y comunidades y hace de la prevención de enfermedades y lesiones una prioridad nacional.
New Report Measures States’ Emergency Preparedness and Recommends Policy Actions to Strengthen the Nation’s Public Health System and Emergency Preparedness
Special Section Examines Health Impacts of Extreme Heat and the Disproportionate Risks for Certain Population Groups
(Washington, DC – March 14, 2024) – Ready or Not 2024: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, released today by Trust for America’s Health, identifies key gaps in national and state preparedness to protect residents’ health during emergencies and makes recommendations to strengthen the nation’s public health system and improve emergency readiness.
As the nation experiences an increasing number of infectious disease outbreaks and extreme weather events, the report found that while emergency preparedness has improved in some areas, policymakers not heeding the lessons of past emergencies, funding cuts, and health misinformation are putting decades of progress in public health preparedness at risk.
Based on nine indicators, the report tiers states, and the District of Columbia, into three readiness levels: high, middle, and low. This year’s report placed 21 states and DC in the high-performance tier, 13 states in the middle-performance tier, and 16 states in the low-performance tier.
High Tier – 21 states & DC
AL, AZ, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, KS, MA, ME, MS, NC, NE, NJ, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA
Middle Tier – 13 states
AR, DE, IA, ID, IL, MD, MO, MT, NH, NM, OK, UT, WI
Low Tier – 16 states
AK, CA, HI, IN, KY, LA, MI, MN, ND, NV, NY, OR, SD, TX, WV, WY
The report is designed to give policymakers actionable data and benchmarks to improve their jurisdiction’s readiness through new and sustained investment in public health infrastructure, modern data systems, a larger and more diverse public health workforce, and collaboration between public health and healthcare systems, and both systems’ ability to surge capacity in response to emergencies. Additional areas of responsibility for the public health system are enhancing vaccine access and monitoring municipal water systems safety.
“This report underscores the need for comprehensive investment in public health infrastructure and preparedness and highlights the importance of addressing the disproportionate effects of underinvestment in public health on communities of color and other groups that have been underserved or marginalized,” said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “Recent public health emergencies, from wildfires to infectious disease outbreaks, not only reveal the imperative for a modernized public health system they also highlight the intrinsic link between the overall health of a community and its ability to be resilient during an emergency. Focusing on eliminating health disparities, advancing health equity, and stemming the rise in chronic diseases is essential for enhancing the nation’s emergency preparedness.”
The report’s special section discusses the increasing health risks from extreme heat, including for particular population groups: people who live in under-resourced communities, people living in urban heat islands or without air conditioning, people who work outdoors, people with chronic diseases, pregnant individuals, infants, children, and older adults. In 2022, more people died in the U.S. due to extreme heat than from any other single type of weather event.
The report’s findings showed both areas of strength in the nation’s health emergency preparedness and areas that need attention.
Areas of strong performance include:
- A majority of states have made preparations to expand healthcare and public health laboratory capacity in an emergency. As of the end of 2023, 39 states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which helps facilitate emergency response efforts by allowing nurses to work in multiple member states, both in person and via telehealth, without the need for additional state licenses. Additionally, 46 states and the District of Columbia have written plans for the expansion of public health laboratory services during health emergencies.
- Most states (43) and the District of Columbia are accredited in the areas of public health or emergency management, with many accredited in both.
- A majority of states (at least 37) and the District of Columbia either maintained or increased their public health funding during fiscal year 2023. State investment in public health is particularly important because most federal funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was temporary, one-time funding.
Areas that need attention include:
- Too few people are vaccinated against seasonal flu. During the 2022-2023 flu season, only 49 percent of the population (ages 6 months and older) was vaccinated against the flu, well short of the 70 percent goal established by Healthy People 2030. There is concern among public health experts that misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine could be impacting the uptake of other vaccines.
- On average, only 25 percent of acute care hospitals in states earned a top-quality patient safety grade in fall 2023. Hospital safety scores measure performance on issues such as healthcare-associated infection rates, intensive-care capacity, and an overall culture of error prevention – all critical for performing at their best during health emergencies.
- On average, only 55 percent of U.S. workers used paid time off during the period from March 2018 to March 2023. Access to paid time off is an important readiness measure because workers who go to work sick risk spreading infections in the workforce and throughout the community.
Policy action is needed:
The report contains recommendations for policy actions across both public and private sectors that would create stronger public health preparedness, including:
- Congress should enhance and modernize public health infrastructure by investing $4.5 billion per year to support foundational public health capabilities at the federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial levels, including investments in data systems and the public health workforce.
- Congress should empower CDC to collect public health data in a timely and coordinated manner, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and all jurisdictions should ensure timely, complete, and disaggregated data collection and reporting. Together, these will enable faster and more effective detection and response to health emergencies.
- Policymakers should prioritize rebuilding trust in public health agencies and leaders. Public health policy decisions should always be based on the best available science and free from political considerations, and federal agencies should be equipped to provide timely and clear public health guidance.
- Congress should provide at least $1.1 billion per year to support vaccine infrastructure and equitable delivery of vaccines. States should minimize vaccine exemptions for schoolchildren, and healthcare facilities should increase vaccination rates among healthcare workers.
- Congress should significantly increase investments in public health initiatives to prevent, detect, and contain antimicrobial resistance.
- Congress and states should provide job-protected paid leave to contain the spread of outbreaks and protect health.
- Congress should provide significant funding for medical countermeasures and should work with the private sector to plan for their distribution and dispensing when needed.
- Congress, HHS, and healthcare leaders should strengthen healthcare readiness and recovery, and state and local emergency planners should work with the healthcare sector to integrate healthcare delivery into emergency preparedness and response.
- Congress should increase investments in programs that identify and mitigate the health impacts of climate change, environmental hazards, and extreme weather.
Read the report
Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health policy, research, and advocacy organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.
TFAH Applauds the Re-introduction of The Social Determinants of Health Act in Congress
(Washington, DC – February 29) – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a non-partisan, independent public health policy, research, and advocacy organization, applauds the introduction of the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2024 for the critical ways it would address the social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect health and well-being and would drive improved health for millions of Americans.
If enacted, the bill would codify and expand the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through grants to public health departments and community organizations, the program would help build multisector collaborations to address non-medical drivers of health. Grants would also be issued to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to conduct research on SDOH best practices, provide technical training, evaluation assistance, and/or disseminate those best practices. Lastly, the program would coordinate, support, and align SDOH activities at CDC.
The President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, congratulates Rep. Barragán and Senators Smith and Murphy on the introduction of the bill:
“Social determinants of health, including housing, employment, food security, transportation, and education, contribute significantly to people’s health outcomes over their lifetime. Communities need more flexible and cross-cutting resources to address these factors that if unaddressed can lead to poor health. CDC’s SDOH program has already assisted dozens of communities in creating SDOH plans and now needs the resources to allow additional grantees to implement community-tailored plans.
Public health plays an important role in convening partners from different sectors and trusted community leaders to address these non-medical drivers of health. This legislation is an important step in improving health outcomes, reducing overall healthcare spending, and helping reduce health disparities. TFAH is proud to support this bill.”
TFAH’s summary of the bill can be found here. For more information on The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2023, please contact Madison West at [email protected].
In addition to TFAH, original endorsing national organizations include:
| New York State Public Health Association | AAHFN | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics | AcademyHealth |
| Access Care Anywhere | AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services | AIDS Alabama | Aligning for Health |
| America Walks | American Association of Colleges of Nursing | American Association on Health and Disability | American College of Medical Toxicology |
| American College of Nurse-Midwives | American College of Physicians | American College of Preventive Medicine | American Heart Association |
| American Medical Women’s Association | American Physical Therapy Association | Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago | Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs |
| Association of State and Territorial Health Officials | Association of State Public Health Nutritionists | Bariatrix Fitness &Functional Training | BDS HEALTHY AGING NETWORKS, INC. |
| Big Cities Health Coalition | Bike Cleveland | Bridges Into the Future | Brighter Beginnings |
| Burke County Health Department | Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids | Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of Elders (CARIE) | Center for Biological Diversity |
| Center for Community Resilience | Center for Promotion of Child Development through Primary Care | Center for Whole Health Learning in K-12 | Ceres Community Project |
| CHAMPS GPO | ChangeLab Solutions | Children’s HealthWatch | Christian Council of Delmarva |
| Civitas Networks for Health | Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients | Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness | Community Health Council of Wyandotte County |
| Continual Care Solutions | Council on Aging for Henderson County | Counter Tools | Deborah’s Place |
| Dia de la Mujer Latina Inc | DuPage County Health Department | Epilepsy Foundation | Epilepsy Information Service of Wake Forest School of Medicine |
| Equality California | Fact Forward | Flint Rising | Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository | Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Inc | Haleon | Hartsfield Health Systems Consulting |
| Health by Design | Health Improvement Collaborative of Southeastern Connecticut | Health Outreach Partners | Health Resources in Action |
| Healthy Alliance | Healthy Little Havana | HealthyWomen | Human Impact Partners |
| I AM HEALTH EDUCATION | Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | Indiana Public Health Association | Indy Hunger Network |
| Inner Explorer | International OCD Foundation | Japanese American Citizens League | Lakeshore Foundation |
| Lanai Community Health Center | League of American Bicyclists | Ledge Light Health District | Linn County Public Health |
| Louisiana Obesity Society | Lutheran Services in America | Maine Public Health Association | Maternal and Child Health Access |
| Mel Leaman Free Clinic | Metropolitan Area Planning Council | MIKE Program | Miles for migraine |
| MindWise Innovation | Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs (MCLA) | Minnesota Public Health Association | MKE FreshAir Collective |
| MountainCare | Move United | NASTAD | National Alliance to Impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH) |
| National Association for Public Health Policy | National Association of Counties (NACo) | National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners | National Association of School Nurses |
| National Association of Social Workers | National Community Action Partnership | National Foundation for Infectious Diseases | National League for Nursing |
| National Network of Public Health Institutes | National Nurse-Led Care Consortium | National Recreation and Park Association | Nemours Children’s Health |
| Nevada Public Health Association | New York State Public Health Association | NJ Public Health Association | OCS eWellness |
| Partnership to End Addiction | Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease | Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation | Pennsylvania Public Health Association |
| Postpartum Support International | Prevent Blindness | Prevent Blindness Georgia | Prevent Blindness North Carolina |
| Prevent Blindness Wisconsin | Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association | Public Health Foundation | Public Health Institute |
| Public Health Solutions | Richmond County Health Department | Safe Routes Partnership | Safe States Alliance |
| Sage Transformations | Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Healthcare Foundation | SLM Consulting, LLC | Society for Public Health Education |
| Society for Social Work Leadership in Healthcare | Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education | Southeastern Michigan Health Association | Stratis Health |
| Summit County Family Resource Center | Susan G. Komen | Telosity Ventures | Texas Health Resources |
| Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility | The AIDS Institute | The American College of Preventive Medicine | The Center for Health Affairs (Cleveland Hospital Association) |
| The Foundation for Sustainable Communities | The Gerontological Society of America | The Joy Labs | The Kennedy Forum |
| The Praxis Project | Treatment Action Group | Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region | Valley AIDS Council |
| Visible Network Labs | Voices of Hope, Inc. | Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility | Washington State Public Health Association |
| Wholespire Inc | Zero Breast Cancer |
Over Thirty Health and Child Wellness Organizations Endorse the Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences Act
(Washington, DC – October 23, 2023) – Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-lasting health impacts over the lifetime of an individual. Research shows a connection between the number of ACEs an individual experiences and their risk for negative health outcomes like asthma, diabetes, cancer, substance use, and suicide in adulthood. A recent CDC study of data from across the United States found that around two thirds of adults reported at least one ACE, and one in six reported four or more ACEs. CDC estimates that the prevention of ACEs could avoid 21 million cases of depression and 1.9 million cases of heart disease.
The Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences Act, introduced by Sen. Angus King and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, is a bipartisan effort to support critical efforts at CDC to prevent ACEs and promote positive childhood experiences through grants for data-driven, evidenced-based strategies. It would also support new research on the impact of ACEs with a focus on the frequency and intensity of ACEs, the relationship between ACEs and negative health outcomes, and the influence of risk and protective factors.
TFAH is proud to join with over 30 health and child wellness organizations to support the bill. Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, stated: “Given the connection between ACEs and the risk of overdose and suicide, it is critical that we invest in efforts to prevent ACEs in all communities. This important legislation would support research to build upon our previous understanding of trauma and ACEs and give communities the tools to help protect children and promote lifelong health and well-being.”
2023 PACE Act Senate HELP Support Letter
The State of Obesity: Creating Pathways to a Healthier America Livestream Event
(Washington, DC – October 18, 2023) – On October 11, 2023, Trust for America’s Health hosted an in-person and livestream event recognizing the 20th anniversary of its State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America report at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The two-hour event featured White House and federal officials discussing the Biden Administration’s priorities for improving nutrition and health including its National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. In addition, senior federal agency officials discussed a whole-of-government approach to advance transformative policies and programs designed to address increasing rates of diet-related diseases and improve the health of the nation.
Another highlight of the event was a panel featuring community leaders and medical experts discussing effective community level obesity prevention programs and innovative approaches to create sustainable change to promote health.
Four-time track and field Olympian and American record holder Chaunte Lowe closed the program discussing the role that sports can play in promoting health and well-being. Ms. Lowe is a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Event speakers were:
- Will McIntee, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement, The White House
- James “Jim” Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Caree Cotwright, PhD, RDN, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Ruth Petersen, M.D., MPH, Director, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Jamila Freightman, CDC High Obesity Program Manager, Louisiana State University AgCenter Healthy Communities Program School of Nutrition and Food Sciences
- Randy Williams, Co-Founder/Vice President of the Robinson/Williams Restoration of Hope Community Center, Bastrop, Louisiana
- Kofi Essel, M.D., MPH, FAAP, Food as Medicine Program Director, Elevance Health
- Chaunte Lowe, 4-time Olympian, American Record Holder, and Council Member, President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition
TFAH President and CEO Dr. J. Nadine Gracia and TFAH Executive Vice President Dr. Tekisha Dwan Everette moderated the event. TFAH Chief Operating Officer Stacy Molander served as the event emcee.
Nuevo informe: Las tasas de obesidad en adultos continua en aumentando, particularmente en comunidades que enfrentan dificultades para lograr una alimentación saludable y tienen menos oportunidades para realizar actividad física
El vigésimo informe anual revela que 22 estados presentan niveles de obesidad en adultos superiores al 35 por ciento
(Washington, DC – 21 de septiembre del 2023) – Según el nuevo informe, publicado el día de hoy sobre el Estado de la obesidad 2023: Mejores políticas para una América más saludable (State of Obesity 2023: Better Policies for a Healthier America), demuestra que la cantidad de adultos en los Estados Unidos con obesidad sigue aumentando. Dicho informe es la vigésima edición anual producida por Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), el cual examina las causas fundamentales del aumento de las tasas de obesidad en el país y hace recomendaciones de políticas para abordarlas.
De acuerdo con el análisis de TFAH de los datos más recientes del Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC, por sus siglas en inglés) y del Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo del Comportamiento, en el 2022, 22 estados tenían una tasa de obesidad en adultos igual o superior al 35 por ciento, en comparación a 19 estados registrados el año anterior. Hace una década atrás, no se registraba una tasa de obesidad igual o superior del 35 por ciento en ningún estado.
Virginia Occidental (41%), Luisiana (40,1%), Oklahoma (40,0%) y Mississippi (39,5%) tienen las tasas más altas de obesidad en adultos. El Distrito de Columbia (24,3%), Colorado (25,0%) y Hawaii (25,9%) tienen las tasas más bajas de obesidad en adultos.
En las últimas dos décadas, las tasas de obesidad han aumentado en todos los grupos de población, y ciertas poblaciones de color experimentan las tasas más altas, a menudo debido a dificultades de estructura referente a una alimentación saludable y a la falta de oportunidades y lugares para estar físicamente activo.
Los resultados de la data en el informe de la Encuesta Nacional de Examen de Salud y Nutrición (NHANES) 2017-2020 rastrean las tendencias de la obesidad a nivel nacional y dentro de los grupos de población. A nivel nacional, el 41,9 por ciento de los adultos tienen obesidad. Los adultos negros, latinos y las personas que viven en comunidades rurales tienden a tener las tasas más altas de obesidad.
- Los adultos negros tienen el nivel más alto de obesidad adulta con un 49,9 por ciento.
- Los adultos hispanos tienen una tasa de obesidad del 45,6 por ciento.
- Los adultos blancos tienen una tasa de obesidad del 41,4 por ciento.
- Las zonas rurales del país tienen mayores índices de obesidad que las zonas urbanas y suburbanas.
Las tasas de obesidad también están aumentando entre los niños y adolescentes: casi el 20 por ciento de los niños estadounidenses de 2 a 19 años tienen obesidad según los datos de NHANES de 2017-2020. Estas tasas se han más que triplicado desde mediados de la década de 1970, siendo los jóvenes negros y latinos los que tienen las tasas de obesidad sustancialmente más altas que sus pares blancos.
Una comprensión en evolución de la obesidad
Desde la primera publicación del informe de TFAH en el 2004, la tasa nacional de obesidad en adultos ha aumentado en un 37 por ciento y la tasa nacional de obesidad juvenil aumentó en un 42 por ciento. Los aumentos generalizados muestran que la obesidad es un problema que afecta a toda la sociedad a nivel poblacional, es decir, que tiene sus raíces en factores sociales y ambientales, lo que significa que a menudo están más allá de la elección individual. TFAH concluye que resolver la crisis de obesidad del país requerirá abordar los factores económicos y estructurales que impactan el lugar donde vive la gente y su acceso al empleo, el transporte, la atención médica, alimentos asequibles y saludables, y lugares para estar físicamente activo.
En los últimos 20 años, se han logrado avances importantes en la comprensión de que la obesidad es una enfermedad y cómo prevenirla, entendiendo el papel que desempeñan los determinantes sociales de la salud y las desigualdades en el ámbito salubre a la hora de impulsar las tasas de obesidad. Además, la implementación de muchas políticas y programas relacionados con la obesidad, brindando un mayor acceso y beneficios dentro de los programas de apoyo nutricional, tienen un historial comprobado de éxito, pero se necesita una mayor inversión para llegar a más personas y comunidades.
“Es fundamental reconocer que la obesidad es una enfermedad multifactorial que involucra mucho más que el comportamiento individual”, dice J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, presidente y director ejecutivo de Trust for America’s Health. “Para detener la tendencia de décadas de aumentar las tasas de obesidad, debemos reconocer que la crisis de la obesidad tiene sus raíces en desigualdades económicas, sanitarias y ambientales. Garantizar que todas las personas y comunidades tengan oportunidades equitativas y acceso a alimentos saludables y actividad física es fundamental para abordar esta crisis”.
Abordar la obesidad es fundamental porque está asociada con una variedad de enfermedades, como diabetes tipo 2, enfermedades cardíacas, accidentes cerebrovasculares, artritis, apnea del sueño y algunos cánceres. Se estima que la obesidad aumenta el gasto sanitario en Estados Unidos en 170.000 millones de dólares al año (incluidos miles de millones de Medicare y Medicaid).
Recomendaciones para abordar la crisis de la obesidad
El informe propone un plan de acción, promoviendo ciertas recomendaciones para ser consideradas por funcionarios federales, estatales, locales y otras partes interesadas en cinco áreas en particular:
- Promover la equidad en salud dedicando estratégicamente recursos federales a esfuerzos que reduzcan las disparidades relacionadas con la obesidad y las condiciones relacionadas, incluso aumentando la financiación para los programas de prevención de enfermedades crónicas y obesidad de los CDC.
- Disminuir la inseguridad nutricional y al mismo tiempo mejorar la calidad nutricional de los alimentos disponibles. Las medidas de acción incluyen garantizar comidas escolares saludables para todos los estudiantes, aumentar el acceso al Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y otros programas de apoyo nutricional, e implementar un sistema obligatorio de etiquetado frontal en los envases de alimentos para ayudar a los consumidores a tomar decisiones informadas.
- Cambiar las estrategias de marketing y precios que conducen a disparidades en materia de salud, incluido el cierre de lagunas fiscales y la eliminación de las deducciones de costos comerciales por anunciar alimentos no saludables a los niños.
- Hacer que la actividad física y el entorno construido sean más seguros y accesibles para todos. Las medidas de acción incluyen aumentar los fondos federales para la educación para apoyar la salud y la educación física en las escuelas e invertir en proyectos donde la gente pueda transportarse activamente por senderos para peatones y bicicletas.
- Trabajar en el sistema de atención médica para reducir las disparidades sociales y aumentar el acceso al seguro médico mediante la expansión de Medicaid, haciendo que los seguros en el mercado sean más asequibles, ampliando los exámenes de atención médica para las necesidades sociales.
Acceda al informe completo
Trust for America’s Health es una organización no partidista y sin fines de lucro que promueve una salud óptima para cada persona y comunidad y hace de la prevención de enfermedades y lesiones una prioridad nacional. www.tfah.org
New Report: Rates of Adult Obesity Continue to Climb, Particularly in Communities Experiencing Barriers to Healthy Eating and Few Opportunities for Physical Activity
20th Annual Report Finds 22 States Have Adult Obesity Levels Above 35 Percent
(Washington, DC – September 21, 2023) – The number of adults in the United States with obesity continues to climb according to a new report, State of Obesity 2023: Better Policies for a Healthier America, released today. The report, the 20th annual edition produced by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), examines the root causes of the nation’s rising obesity rates, and makes policy recommendations to address them.
According to TFAH’s analysis of the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, in 2022, 22 states had an adult obesity rate at or above 35 percent, up from 19 states the prior year. A decade ago, no state had an adult obesity rate at or above the 35 percent level.
West Virginia (41%), Louisiana (40.1%), Oklahoma (40.0%), and Mississippi (39.5%) have the highest rates of adult obesity. The District of Columbia (24.3%), Colorado (25.0%), and Hawaii (25.9%) have the lowest adult obesity rates.
Over the past two decades obesity rates have climbed for all population groups with certain populations of color experiencing the highest rates, often due to structural barriers to healthy eating and a lack of opportunities and places to be physically active.
Data summarized in the report from the 2017 – 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) tracks obesity trends nationally and within populations groups. Nationally, 41.9 percent of adults have obesity. Black and Latino adults and people living in rural communities tend to have the highest rates of obesity.
- Black adults have the highest level of adult obesity at 49.9 percent.
- Hispanic adults have an obesity rate of 45.6 percent.
- White adults have an obesity rate of 41.4 percent.
- Rural areas of the country have higher rates of obesity than urban and suburban areas.
Obesity rates are also increasing among children and adolescents with nearly 20 percent of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 having obesity according to 2017–2020 NHANES data. These rates have more than tripled since the mid-1970s, and Black and Latino youth have substantially higher rates of obesity than do their white peers.
An Evolving Understanding of Obesity
Since TFAH’s initial report, published in 2004, the national adult obesity rate has increased by 37 percent and the national youth obesity rate increased by 42 percent. The widespread increases show that obesity is a society-wide, population-level issue, i.e., one rooted in societal and environmental factors that are often beyond individual choice. TFAH concludes that solving the nation’s obesity crisis will require addressing the economic and structural factors that impact where people live and their access to employment, transportation, healthcare, affordable and healthy food, and places to be physically active.
Over the past 20 years, important strides have been made in understanding that obesity is a disease and how to prevent it, including the role that social determinants of health and health inequities play in driving obesity rates. Furthermore, many obesity-related policies and programs that have been implemented, such as increased access to and benefits within nutrition support programs, have a proven record of success but need increased investment to reach more people and communities.
“It’s critical to recognize that obesity is a multifactored disease involving much more than individual behavior,” says J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “In order to stem the decades long trend of increasing obesity rates we have to acknowledge that the obesity crisis is rooted in economic, health, and environmental inequities. Ensuring all people and communities have equitable opportunity and access to healthy food and physical activity is fundamental to addressing this crisis.”
Addressing obesity is critical because it is associated with a range of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, sleep apnea, and some cancers. Obesity is estimated to increase U.S. healthcare spending by $170 billion annually (including billions by Medicare and Medicaid).
Recommended Policy Steps to Address the Obesity Crisis
The report includes recommendations for policy actions that should be taken by federal, state, and local officials and other stakeholders within five issue areas:
- Advance health equity by strategically dedicating federal resources to efforts that reduce obesity-related disparities and related conditions, including by increasing funding for CDC’s chronic disease and obesity prevention programs.
- Decrease nutrition insecurity while improving nutritional quality of available food. Actions steps include guaranteeing healthy school meals for every student, increasing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other nutrition support programs, and implementing a mandatory front-of-package labeling system on food packaging to help consumers make informed choices.
- Change the marketing and pricing strategies that lead to health disparities, including closing tax loopholes and eliminating business-cost deductions for advertising unhealthy food to children.
- Make physical activity and the built environment safer and more accessible for everyone. Action steps include increasing federal education funding to support health and physical education in schools and investing in active transportation projects like pedestrian and bike paths.
- Work within the healthcare system to reduce disparities and close gaps in clinical-to-social service referrals by increasing access to health insurance through expanding Medicaid, making marketplace insurance more affordable, and expanding healthcare screenings for social needs.
Read the full report
Over 110 Organizations Call on Senate to Oppose Cuts to Prevention Fund
(Washington, DC – September 20, 2023) – Trust for America’s Health, American Public Health Association, Association of Public Health Laboratories, Big Cities Health Coalition, Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and more than 100 other organizations representing public health, healthcare, research, social services, and other sectors, today released a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee opposing a committee proposal to cut $980 million from the Prevention & Public Health Fund (“the Prevention Fund”) to pay for other health legislation.
The Prevention Fund is a critical source of funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies across Health and Human Services. The Prevention Fund invests in states and communities across the nation to strengthen systems and the workforce that allow us to provide immunizations, detect and control outbreaks, and prevent illness and early deaths from tobacco and chronic diseases. It supports activities outside one’s doctor’s office – separate and distinct from individual health concerns and treatments.
In an already challenging budget environment, this would further endanger the health of Americans. These cuts would impact not only health programs, but also labor and education, as it will leave a significant gap in base appropriations for the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill that will need to be backfilled. This pay-for has far reaching consequences for all ofthe programs that fall under the spending bill’s purview.
The letter in part reads:
“The nation can no longer afford to underfund public health…. Despite spending more than any other high-income nation on treating disease, the U.S. has substantially worse health outcomes, with life expectancy declining in recent years. Now is the time to invest in public health and prevention…
Cuts to the Prevention Fund will translate into funding shortfalls in programs that states have long relied upon to keep their residents healthy and safe. In its first 14 years (FY2010–23), the Prevention Fund has invested more than $12.3 billion in resources to states, localities, and tribal and community organizations in support of critical prevention and public health programs. These investments include the 317 immunization program that enables prevention of outbreaks, epidemiologists and public health laboratory grants in every state and territory to detect and investigate outbreaks and prevent further infections, the Preventive Health and Health Services (Prevent) Block Grant that enables states and localities to address their most pressing health concerns, supporting cancer screenings, and other critically important programs. Across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Prevention Fund supports programs such as suicide prevention, Alzheimer’s disease prevention, and chronic disease self-management.
Funding prevention not only saves lives, but it also saves money. The Prevention Fund’s Tips from Former Smokers Campaign alone saved an estimated $7.3 billion in smoking-related healthcare costs from 2012 to 2018 and helped more than one million Americans quit smoking for good. Public health funding has not kept up with the range of threats that public health must address. For many of these conditions, we know what works, but public health does not have the resources to address these growing health threats.”
The full text of the letter is linked here.
Information about the Prevention and Public Health Fund can be found here.
Organizations Joining the Letter:
ADAP Advocacy
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association on Health and Disability
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Physicians
American College of Preventive Medicine
American College of Sports Medicine
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
American Public Health Association
American Society for Microbiology
American Society on Aging
American Statistical Association
Association for Prevention Teaching and Research
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Immunization Managers
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Association of Pathology Chairs
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Big Cities Health Coalition
CAEAR Coalition
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of Elders (CARIE)
Children’s Environmental Health Network
Christian Council of Delmarva
City-County Health District
Colorado Public Health Association
Community Access National Network
Connecticut Public Health Association
Cook County Department of Public Health
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
Dorchester County Health Department
Early Impact Virginia
Endocrine Society
Eta Sigma Gamma
Foundation for Healthy Generations
Futures Without Violence
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
GO2 for Lung Cancer
Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Inc
Health Promotion Consultants
Healthy Weight Partnership Inc.
HIV Medicine Association
HLN Consulting, LLC
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness
Immunize.org
Institute for Public Health Innovation
International WELL Building Institute
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition
Kentucky Voices for Health
Kids and Car Safety
Lakeshore Foundation
Linn County Public Health
Maine Public Health Association
March of Dimes
Marked By Covid
MaryCatherine Jones Consulting, LLC
Mel Leaman Free Clinic
Mental Health America
Minnesota Public Health Association
NASTAD
National Alliance of Public Health Students and Alums
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Healthy Housing
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
National Network of Public Health Institutes
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
National Prevention Science Coalition
Nemours Children’s Health
New Jersey Public Health Association
New York State Public Health Association
Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials
Peggy Lillis Foundation
Pennsylvania Public Health Association
Population Association of America
Prevent Blindness
Prevent Blindness Georgia
Prevent Blindness Ohio
Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
Prevent Child Abuse America
Prevention Institute
Public Health Foundation
Public Health Institute
Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness
Resolve to Save Lives
RiverStone Health
Safe States Alliance
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society for Public Health Education
Society for Women’s Health Research
Sound Generations
Sound Generations – Project Enhance
Spina Bifida Association
Task Force for Global Health
The 317 Coalition
The Foundation for Sustainable Communities
The Gerontological Society of America
Trust for America’s Health
USAging
Vaccinate Your Family
Voices for Vaccines
Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials
Washington State Public Health Association
Well-Being and Equity in the World
Wisconsin Public Health Association
YMCA of the USA