Today is the first day of National Public Health Week! Each year, public health professionals around the country use this week to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation’s health.
Today’s theme is Healthy Communities. People’s health, longevity and well-being are connected to their communities — the places we live, learn, work, worship and play. Over half a million U.S. children have blood lead levels high enough to damage their health. Evidence shows that the most common source of lead exposure for children today is lead paint in older housing and the contaminated dust and soil it generates. New England states have some of the oldest housing in the United States with over a third of New England housing built before 1950, where deteriorating lead-based paint is most likely to exist.
Join the New England Lead Coordinating Committee (NELCC) in advocating for healthy communities across the region. Steps you can take include:
- Defend the critical role of strong public health systems in creating healthier communities and urge decisionmakers to make health a priority in all policymaking.
- Work across sectors and outside of traditional public health circles to expand health-promoting opportunities.
- Apply a health equity lens to ensure your efforts reach those most in need.
