Ten Great Public Health Achievements

The May 20th Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report form the CDC listed ten great public health achievements in the U.S. 2001 - 2010.

1. Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
2. Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases
3. Tobacco Control
4. Maternal and Infant Health
5. Motor Vehicle Safety
6. Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
7. Occupational Safety
8. Cancer Prevention
9. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
10. Public Health Preparedness

These are commendable achievements and they must be sustained. The continuing frontier and perhaps the biggest challenge for public health is the arena of primary prevention through changes in behavior. Nutrition and exercise (physical activity) are at the core but control of stress and sense of well-being are involved also. There is a reliable body of knowledge to support these efforts but scaling them up to populations is a challenge. A growing number of communities are rising to this challenge. We should watch and support them.