From Knowledge Center
New Haven Health Matters!
Health Matters! is an ambitious movement to improve the health status of the City of New Haven and make New Haven one of the healthiest cities in the nation!
Why Health Matters!?
Each year, Connecticut spends nearly $1 billion on chronic illnesses, including obesity. Fueled, in part, by policies from federal, state and local jurisdictions that affect health directly (e.g., access to health care) or indirectly (e.g., business, transportation, education), New Haven and other urban centers continue to carry a disproportionate burden of the cost, morbidity and mortality. A recent report sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranked New Haven seventh out of the eight counties in Connecticut in health outcomes. Surveys of 2400 children and adults from six neighborhoods in New Haven demonstrated that:
- 1 in 2 fifth and sixth graders were overweight or obese
- 1 in 3 adult residents reported daily smoking
- 1 in 5 skipped meals in the past 30 days because they had no food or money for food
What Will Health Matters! Do?
Under the leadership of Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. and the Community Services Administration, the work of Health Matters! will be driven by the actions of its Commission in partnership with businesses, community organizations, residents and advocacy groups to:
+ Create the vision for a healthy New Haven
+ Use local data to prioritize and assess health issues, policies and practices for long-term health impact on New Haven residents
+ Engage businesses and community organizations through Health Matters! Partnerships
+ Implement activities that will elevate the health status of New Haven and its residents
+ Educate and encourage residents to make healthier choices in their communities
How Will Health Matters! Measure Success?
+ Civic and political participation in creating healthier communities
+ Improved resident health and reduced health inequities
+ Number of active Health Matters! Partnerships.
Health Matters! expands the responsibility of health promotion to all sectors of our community. It builds a common vision and operational plan among policy makers, local health systems, retail businesses, academicians, community-based health advocates and organizations. Quality of life and the effective functioning of the city depend strongly on the health of its people and Health Matters! is a means for us to get there.
New Haven cares about health because Health Matters!
News Coverage of New Haven Health Matters
NH Register, 7/24/2010: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/07/24/news/new_haven/aa3_nehealth_24072410.txt
NH Independent, 7/27/2010: http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/city_inaugurates_a_broad_approach_to_health/
New Haven Health Director Shares Global View (NH Register, 8/23/2010) http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/08/23/news/new_haven/doc4c728c37e041b347405777.txt
