Accessibility will be one of the themes of the 2022 National Public Health Week.  Each daily theme focuses on the inter-connectivity of the people and world around us.  Improving the health of the many begins with improving the systems we have created and the earth we live on.

 

According to the American Public Health Association 26% of the population of the United States (61.4 million adults) live with a disability. Disability is especially common in tribal communities, where 2 in 5 non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives live with a disability.  

 

Because of cost, over 37% of adults with disabilities have been unable to access primary and regular preventive care. Delayed care puts adults living with disabilities at greater risk to have other health issues like heart disease (11.5% versus 3.8% of adults without disabilities) and diabetes (16.3% versus 7.2%). Access to care is also affected by access to health insurance. In 2020, 28 million people in the U.S. lacked any type of health insurance."

National Public Health Week 2022 Themes

Racism: A Public Health Crisis (Monday)

Public Health Workforce: Essential to our Future (Tuesday)

Community: Collaboration and Resilience (Wednesday)

World Health Day: Health is a Human Right (Thursday)

Accessibility: Closing the Health Equity Gap (Friday)

Climate Change: Taking Action for Equity (Saturday)

Mental Wellness: Redefining the Meaning of Health (Sunday)