Healthy People 2020 Disease Topic
Healthy People 2020 is a program that was updated from Healthy People 2000 and Healthy People 2010; which were early developed from a 1979 and 1990s programs. The program is characterized with nationwide disease prevention and health promotion goals. Findings show that United States Department of Health and Human Services spearheads the operations of Healthy People 2020 (Healthypeople.gov, 013). It has been noted that HealthCorps is an example of a program that came into operations as a result of the Healthy People 2020 (Krisberg, 2012).
Immunization and Infectious Diseases
The goal of immunization and infectious diseases approach is to increase the rates of immunization and at the same minimize the rates of infectious diseases that are preventable (Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2020, 2011). Surveys have indicated that United States has experienced an increase in the number of human beings, an indication that the life expectancy has enlarged with the influence of high child survival; basing on the medical interventions (Krisberg, 2012). In earlier times, child mortality was a big issue that threatened the existence of human beings. Some of the vaccine preventable diseases identity with influenza, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis (TB); surveys have indicated that vaccine preventable diseases contribute to a significant percentage of deaths of people in the United States (Healthypeople.gov, 2013).
Surveys have shown that the increase in the child survival is attributed to immunization that has made it possible in dealing with infectious disease mortality. Irrespective of the current medical improvements and interventions, it has been noted that infectious diseases contributes to a significant number of people suffering from disability, illnesses and eventual death (Krisberg, 2012). Taking a critical look at United States, it is argued that immunization recommendations targets around seventeen vaccine preventable diseases that attack human beings in the course of life (Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2020, 2011).
Health People 2020 practice and goals are pegged on infectious diseases and immunization in accessing evidence based community and clinical services and activities in treating and preventing infectious diseases (Healthypeople.gov, 2013). Technology is being applied by Healthy People 2020 in making sure that the diseases are tackled at the State levels, nongovernmental organizations and in the local public health departments among others (Schneider, 2012).
Socialization and globalization has presented a major challenge in dealing with infectious diseases, people are ever moving than before, an indication that geographical and international boundaries cannot be relied in the control of infectious diseases (Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2020, 2011). The current society is mobile, a factor that facilitates a faster spread of the infectious diseases across the globe. Current prevention efforts are attached to awareness, treatment courses and completing prevention are the major components applied in reducing the transmission of infectious diseases (Healthypeople.gov, 2013).
People in the twenty first century are more enlightened than in the previous generations. Technology has made it easy for people to communicate along the globe. It is argued that making the public aware on the infectious diseases is a priority of United States. Healthy People 2020 argue that infectious diseases and immunization are critical, in that people in America are continually being infected with preventable diseases.
The government of the United States has spent huge chunks of money in dealing with the preventable diseases (Krisberg, 2012). Disease surveillance in the United States is carried out by the infectious diseases public health infrastructure. The surveillance is carried out at Federal levels, State levels and also at the local Levels. The surveillance is an essential tool for developing future goals in preventing the spread of infectious diseases (Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2020, 2011).
Nurses have an active role in preventing and educating people on infectious diseases. Nurses insist that patients must use vaccines in the right way, proper administration of antibiotics, observing proper testing and screening procedures and employing scientific improvements in dealing with health concerns pegged to the infectious diseases diagnoses (Schneider, 2012).
American government encourages people to identify with the support groups, community programs and organizations dealing with preventable diseases. It has been noted that immunization is one of the most cost effective models of addressing preventable diseases in clinical preventative services (Healthypeople.gov, 2013). There are many programs in the United States dealing with childhood immunizations, surveys have shown that such programs has yielded high (ROI) Return On Investment in previous decades.
An example of child immunization program indicated that the routine schedule circles on Td, Polio, DTap, Hib, Hep B, Variella vaccines and MMR among others. Immunization in the United States is believed to have saved more than thirty three thousand lives in a year, immunization has prevented more that fourteen million chances of people contracting preventable diseases, immunization reduces health care costs amounting to more than nine point nine United States billion dollars that has been saved in indirect costs (Healthypeople.gov, 2013); emerging issues in dealing with infectious diseases and immunization calls for culturally acceptable medical interventions, new ways of dealing with infectious diseases and agents and in dealing with environmental challenges (Krisberg, 2012).
Healthy People is scientifically positioned in durations of ten years, the national objectives are geared at improving the overall health of the people in the United States (Schneider, 2012). Surveys done for the last three decades indicated that Healthy People are on encouraging active collaborations in sectors and communities, evaluate the impact of activities pegged to the prevention of diseases and empowering people towards making informed decisions in relations to health matters (Healthypeople.gov, 2013).
References
Healthypeople.gov. (2013). Immunization and Infectious Diseases. Retrieved July 17, 2013, from Healthypeople.gov: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=23
Krisberg, K. (2012). Healthy People 2020 tackling social determinants of health: input sought from health work force. New York: Garland Science.
Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2020. (2011). National Academy of Sciences , 1-4.
Schneider, M. (2012). Supp: Healthy People 2020 Supplement. Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
