Public Health Awareness: Generation Public Health · Minority Outreach
Donate · New Jersey Local Public Health Agencies · April NJ Community Health Events
Sources: American Public Health Association; NJ Office Local Public Health; HHS Minority Health.gov
While a doctor treats people who are sick, those of us working in public health try to prevent people from getting sick or injured in the first place. The American Public Health Association also promotes wellness by encouraging healthy behaviors of all kinds. That can mean vaccinating children and adults to prevent the spread of disease, educating people about the risks of alcohol and tobacco, setting safety standards to protect workers, or developing nutrition programs to ensure schoolkids have access to healthy food.
Public health works to track disease outbreaks, prevent injuries and shed light on why some of us are more likely to suffer from poor health than others. The many facets of public health include speaking out for laws that promote smoke-free indoor air and seat belts, spreading the word about ways to stay healthy and giving science-based solutions to problems.
Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play — which saves money, improves our quality of life, helps children thrive and reduces human suffering.
New Jersey’s local health departments are community-based public health service providers and the front-line forces responsible for providing essential public health services that protect and promote the health of New Jersey’s citizens. The New Jersey Department of Health Office of Local Public Health (OLPH) works to strengthen New Jersey’s local public health system and improve the performance and practice of local health departments. The New Jersey Department of Health Office of Minority and Multicultural Health is committed to helping people in our diverse communities live longer, healthier lives and to leading the effort to reduce – and eventually eliminate – health disparities in New Jersey.
How to Create “The Healthiest Nation In One Generation” (PDF)
- Build a network safe, healthy communities
- Help all Americans achieve at least high school graduation
- Increase economic mobility
- Ensure comprehensive law enforcement and social justice
- Give everyone access to safe, healthy food
- Create healthy environments (air and water)
- Provide quality health care for everyone
- Strengthen public health infrastructure and capacity
- Provide strong and consistent funding levels for key public health agencies