U.S. Sets New Goals for a Healthier Nation

In October, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a list of critical health priorities for the coming decade designed to serve as a blueprint to help reach the Healthy People 2020 objective of improving the health of all Americans. The goals are designed to help policymakers at the federal, state and community level make priorities for the coming decade.

According to HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh, MD, MPH, the top priorities are expanding access to medical care and increasing the number of Americans with their own primary care provider.Other goals include increasing the percentage of eligible Americans who are screened for colorectal cancer from the current 54 percent to 70 percent and the percentage of eligible women who have mammograms from 70 percent to 77 percent; increasing the percentage of people with high blood pressure and diabetes whose conditions are adequately controlled with medication; increasing the percentage of young teens who receive booster doses of the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine from 47 percent to 80 percent, and increasing the vaccination rate with two doses of the varicella vaccine in this age group from 37 percent to 90 percent; and increasing the number of Americans who see a dentist regularly to around 49 percent, from a current rate of about 44 percent. For the first time, the goals include a section identifying social factors that help determine health. For instance, a major goal is to increase the percentage of students who graduate from high school with a regular diploma in four years from around 75 percent to 82 percent, a move made in recognition of the fact that higher education is closely linked to better health.

Koh, who presented the list of priorities at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, noted that over the previous decade, the average life expectancy of Americans has increased from 77 years to 78 years. And, three out of four health objectives identified by health officials to be met by 2010 were either met or substantial progress was made toward meeting them.