Public health is the center of our medical care system which promotes the health of our communities and plays a key role in disease prevention. The improvements it has made in our living conditions, sanitation and food supply in the 20th century has been immeasurable.
We know that public health departments and public health nurses are doing their jobs well when we are not aware of their work. But the health of our communities is very much dependent on our public health departments. Some of the core activities of public health and public health nurses include:
- Communicable disease control
- Immunizations
- Safe food and drinking water
- Maternity and infant services
- Chronic disease prevention
- Family planning
- Bioterrorism detection and response to anthrax, smallpox, plague and other emerging diseases such as West Nile virus and the pandemic flu.
Public health is the most cost effective system for disease prevention and health improvement. Yet, only 2% of the total health care dollars are spend on public health services, and Washington ranks 44th in the nation in per capita spending on public health.
Washington’s public health system is in jeopardy due to decades of neglect and erosion in public health spending. The ability of our local public health department to perform its core functions has been greatly reduced. Examples of such deterioration include:
- Drop in child immunization rates
- Increase in tuberculosis cases
- Increase in sexually transmitted disease rates
- Increase in diseases such as measles and whooping cough
- Increase in infant mortality in some populations
Clearly, the current system is grossly inadequate. Any further cuts to the system is simply irresponsible and places the community at unacceptable risk. Public health is the center of a quality health care system and is the most cost effective system for disease prevention and health improvement. It is our first line of defense in responding to a communicable disease outbreak, a bioterrorism and in disaster preparedness.
Public Health: A System in Crisis
Key Facts
- Critical public health services are at risk as county public health assistance, fund-ing provided through SB 5930 and other state public health funding continues to decline even has our state’s population is on the rise.
- Funding reductions at the state level mean that core public health services are in danger—services such as communicable disease control, chronic disease and injury prevention, and emergency preparedness.
Deep cuts to funding for public health services put the health and well-being of every Washing-ton state resident at risk by eroding the public health system that serves all Washingtonians.
- Cuts to public health will mean more illness and more preventable deaths. Without the core services provided by Public Health, we will face more illness from communicable dis-ease like tuberculosis; bigger, more frequent outbreaks of 20th century vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough; more death and disability from preventable inju-ries and chronic diseases.
- Cuts to public health will result in higher health care costs. Public health’s preventive programs save lives and money. For example, every state dollar invested tobacco prevention and control saves $5 in health care costs. Unintended pregnancies resulting from family plan-ning cuts will cost the state an average of $8,675 per birth.
- Cuts to public health will intensify health disparities. While all people are affected by state budget cuts, low-income women and children and communities of color will be inequita-bly impacted.