Question

The City of Detroit has a high number of people without health insurance. The city also does not compare well in several health statistics. Public health intiatives are less expensive than providing insuracne and provide very good results. Give 3 examples of public health intiatives that could be implemented in the area to greatly impact health in the area.

Answer 1

Public health aims to improve the quality of life through prevention and treatment of disease, including mental health. This is done through the surveillance of cases and health indicators, and through the promotion of healthy behaviors.

Common public health initiatives that could be implemented in the area to greatly impact health in the area include

1. Promotion of hand-washing and breastfeeding, delivery of vaccinations as Detroit has a poverty rate nearly three times higher than the national average, roughly 30%. In Detroit, the child poverty rate is even higher, at more than 43%. So such initiatives will help children from health problems.

2. Smoking cessation, Environmental awareness: Detroit air is polluted, because of diesel emission, exposure to air toxins affect developmental, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological health, contributing to Detroit’s high rates of cancer, asthma, and heart disease.

3. Industrial pollution awareness: Industrial pollutants such as mercury, PCBs, and dioxins land in Detroits waterways and are absorbed by fish. When people eat the fish, they absorb the toxins in the fish; therefore there are restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption.

Mercury, which comes from coal-burning power plants and other industrial processes, damages the brain and nerves, especially in a fetus or a young child. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, young children, and women who may become pregnant should avoid eating fish high in mercury. PCBs are now banned in the U.S. for their toxicity, but remain in our environment, and cancer-causing dioxins come from diesel combustion and incineration.