Issue Category: Public Health Funding

Annual Deaths Due to Alcohol, Drugs or Suicide Exceeded 150,000 According to the Most Recent Data – And Could Get Worse Due to COVID-19

Alcohol, drug and suicide deaths up in 27 states

(Washington, DC – May 21, 2020) – Newly released data show that 151,964 Americans died due to alcohol, drugs or suicide in 2018. This 2018 national death rate for alcohol, drug and suicide deaths was only very slightly lower than what it had been in 2017 despite progress in reducing deaths due to some types of opioid overdose, according to a new study by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT).

Between 2017 and 2018, 27 states experienced higher rates (increases above 0.04 percent) of alcohol, drug and suicide deaths. Two states, Vermont and Delaware, experienced double-digit death rate increases – 13 percent and 10 percent respectively. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia had lower alcohol, drug and suicide deaths during the same period.

States with the highest alcohol, drugs and suicide death rates in 2018 were:

  • West Virginia (84.9 per 100,000)
  • New Mexico (82.8 per 100,000)
  • New Hampshire (68.2 per 100,000)
  • Alaska (67.8 per 100,000)
  • Delaware (62.9 per 100,00)

States with the lowest alcohol, drug and suicide rates in 2018 were:

  • Texas (31.7 per 100,000)
  • Mississippi (31.7 per 100,000)
  • Hawaii (34.6 per 100,000)
  • Nebraska (35.5 per 100,000)
  • Iowa (35.7 per 100,000)

For the year, alcohol deaths were up 4 percent and suicide deaths were up 2 percent across the country. The new data also show a continuing shift within the opioid crisis with reductions in deaths due to prescription opioid abuse but increases in deaths involving synthetic opioids including fentanyl. Death rates for all opioids were down 2 percent, but the death rate for synthetic opioids was up 10 percent. Additionally, heroin deaths were lower but deaths due to cocaine and psychostimulants abuse were higher.

While still disturbingly high, the 2018 data is the first time since 1999, when the current data collection began, that there hasn’t been a sizable increase in the national alcohol, drugs and suicide deaths per 100,000 rate. However, this stabilization in the deaths rate was not uniform. Some places and populations groups are experiencing stable or decreasing deaths rates while rates among other groups or in other places are continuing to rise.

“These data are a clarion call to action,” said John Auerbach, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug and alcohol deaths. And there’s another immediate concern: the COVID-19 crisis has increased the health burdens and economic pressures on many communities of color.”

American Indians, Asians, Blacks, Latinos and older adults all experienced increases in drug-induced deaths between 2017 and 2018. Blacks and American Indians had the largest increase. Blacks now have higher synthetic opioid overdose rates (10.7 per 100,000), cocaine overdose rates (8.8 per 100,000) and nearly the same overall drug-induced death rate (21.8 per 100,000) as Whites, after decades of having substantially lower overdose rates. Population groups that experienced lower drug-induced death rates in 2018 included adults ages 18-54 and Whites.

“Quite simply, too many Americans are dying from preventable causes. The profound racial health disparities seen in these data show that many ethnic minority groups are being left behind in our response efforts,” said Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, chief strategy officer, Well Being Trust. “The nation needs a comprehensive framework for excellence in mental health and well-being, one that intentionally provides solutions for American Indians, Blacks, Asians and Latinos. With all the other COVID-19 related investments, it’s time for the federal government to fully invest in mental health now and for all states to take action.”

Deaths by Drug Type

Synthetic Opioids – in 2018, 31,355 Americans died from synthetic opioid overdose; up 10 percent since 2017. In total, the synthetic-opioid-involved overdose death rate has increased 10-fold since 2013.

Cocaine – In 2018, 14,666 Americans died from cocaine-involved overdoses; up 5 percent since 2017. The overall cocaine overdose death rate has increased by 187 percent since 2013.

Other psychostimulants – In 2018, 12,676 Americans died from overdoses involving psychostimulants and 52,279 have died over the past decade due to psychostimulants abuse.  The 2018 psychostimulants overdose death rate was 22 percent higher than it was in 2017.

Alcohol-induced Deaths

In 2018, 37,329 Americans died due to alcohol-induced causes; the rate of alcohol-induced deaths in 2018 was 4 percent higher than the prior year.

Alcohol induced deaths are highest among American Indians (30.0 per 100,000) and adults ages 55 to 74 (27.6 per 100,000). All population groups had higher rates of alcohol deaths in 2018 as compared to the prior year except youths ages 0-17, whose rate held steady.

Suicide Deaths

In 2018, 48,344 Americans died as a result of suicide. Nationally, the 2018 suicide rate was two percent higher than the prior year (that is after a four percent increase in 2017). Suicide rates increased across all demographics, except for adults ages 18-54 whose rate remained stable. In addition, all racial and ethnic minority groups experienced larger proportional changes in suicide rates than did Whites.

Death by suicide in 2018 was highest among males (23.4 percent per 100,000), those living in rural areas (19.7 per 100,000), Whites (16.8 per 100,000) and American Indian/Alaska Natives (14.1 per 100,000).

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Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.  www.tfah.org. Twittwe: @HealthyAmerica1

 

Well Being Trust is a national foundation dedicated to advancing the mental, social, and spiritual health of the nation. Created to include participation from organizations across sectors and perspectives, Well Being Trust is committed to innovating and addressing the most critical mental health challenges facing America, and to transforming individual and community well-being. www.wellbeingtrust.org. Twitter: @WellBeingTrust

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Deaths Due to Alcohol, Drugs or Suicide Exceeded 150,000According to the Most Recent Data – And Could Get Worse Due to COVID-19

Despite decreases in overall opioid overdose deaths, deaths involving synthetic opioids, cocaine and other psychostimulants increased sharply and alcohol and suicide deaths are also up.

(Washington, DC and Oakland, CA – May 21, 2020) – Newly released data show that 151,964 Americans died due to alcohol, drugs or suicide in 2018. This national death rate for alcohol, drug and suicide deaths was only very slightly lower than what it had been in 2017 despite progress in reducing some types of opioid overdose, according to a new study by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT).

For the year, alcohol deaths were up 4 percent and suicide deaths were up 2 percent. The new data also show a continuing shift within the opioid crisis with reductions in deaths due to prescription opioid overdose but increases in deaths involving synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.

Death rates for all opioids were down 2 percent, but the death rate for synthetic opioids was up 10 percent. Additionally, heroin involved overdose deaths were lower but deaths involving cocaine and other psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, amphetamine and prescription stimulants, were higher.

While still disturbingly high, the s2018 data is the first time since 1999, when the current data collection began, that there has not been a sizable increase in the alcohol, drugs and suicide deaths per 100,000 rate. However, this stabilization in the deaths rate was not uniform. Some places and population groups are experiencing stable or decreasing deaths rates while rates among other groups or in other places continue to rise.

“These data are a clarion call to action,” said John Auerbach, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug-induced and alcohol deaths. And there’s another immediate concern: the COVID-19 crisis has increased the health burdens and economic pressures on many communities of color.”

American Indians, Asians, Blacks, Latinos and older adults all experienced increases in drug-induced deaths between 2017 and 2018. Blacks and American Indians had the largest absolute increase. Black now have higher synthetic opioid overdose rates (10.7 per 100,000), cocaine overdose rates (8.8 percent per 100,000) and nearly the same overall drug-induced rate (21.8 per 100,000) as Whites, after decades of having substantially lower rates.

Population groups that experienced lower drug-induced death rates in 2018 included adults ages 18-54 and Whites.

“Quite simply, too many Americans are dying from preventable causes. The profound racial health disparities seen in these data show that many ethnic minority groups are being left behind in our response efforts,” said Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, chief strategy officer, Well Being Trust. “The nation needs a comprehensive framework for excellence in mental health and well-being, one that intentionally provides solutions for American Indians, Blacks, Asians and Latinos. With all the other COVID-19 related investments, it’s time for the federal government to fully invest in mental health now and for all states to take action.”

The reduction in certain opioid deaths suggests that the policies and programs targeting the opioid epidemic may be taking hold in some populations – but many racial and ethnic groups are not seeing the same progress as Whites. The nation should build on the small degree of success and bring the same focus to populations who are at increasing risk, especially Blacks, Latinos and American Indians.

Policy recommendations outlined in the report include:

  • Investing in prevention by addressing the upstream factors that create the conditions that improve outcomes. Numerous factors contribute to well-being or the lack of it including Intergenerational poverty, systemic racism, ethnic discrimination, and homophobia/transphobia are among the social, economic, and environmental factors that elevate risk. Government agencies at all levels should take steps to promote racial equity and combat racism and discrimination.
  • Reducing risk factors and promoting resilience in children, families, and communities. Support equitable policies and programs that reduce traumatic and adverse experiences—such as exposure to violence, unstable housing, racial and ethnic discrimination, and implicit bias—which have profound long-term impacts on later substance use and mental health.
  • Integrating, increasing access to, and improving healthcare by engaging all sectors of society in addressing mental health and substance use disorders. Schools, workplaces, community centers, libraries, and public-facing programs should all incorporate ways to address mental health and addictions issues, from boosting awareness and reducing stigma, to providing crisis intervention training and facilitating referrals, and even integrating healthcare into their programming where possible.
  • Limiting access to lethal means of suicide. Promote safe storage of medications and firearms by providing public education; restricting access to firearms for children and individuals in crisis or at risk of suicide; and creating protocols for health care providers, counselors, and first responders on how to interact with and counsel patients and families to create safe environments. Implement universal background checks for gun purchases and extreme-risk protection orders nationwide, and expand programs to engage stakeholders—like the Gun Shop Project, which educates gun store staffs on suicide prevention.

2018 Data Summary

Deaths by Drug Type

Synthetic Opioids Overdose Deaths – in 2018, 31,355 Americans died from synthetic opioid-involved overdose; up 10 percent since 2017. In total, the synthetic-opioid-involved overdose death rate has increased nearly 10-fold since 2013.

Cocaine Overdose Deaths – In 2018, 14,666 Americans died from cocaine-involved overdoses; up 5 percent since 2017. The overall cocaine overdose death rate has increased by 187 percent since 2013.

Other psychostimulants Overdose Deaths – In 2018, 12,676 Americans died from overdoses involving psychostimulants and 52,279 have died over the past decade due to psychostimulants abuse.  The 2018 psychostimulants overdose death rate was 22 percent higher than it was in 2017.

Alcohol-induced Deaths

In 2018, 37,329 Americans died due to alcohol-induced causes; the rate of alcohol-induced deaths in 2018 was 4 percent higher than the prior year.

Alcohol induced deaths are highest among American Indians (30.0 per 100,000) and adults ages 55 to 74 (27.6 per 100,000). All population groups had higher rates of alcohol deaths in 2018 as compared to the prior year except youths ages 0-17, whose rate held steady.

Suicide Deaths

In 2018, 48,344 Americans died as a result of suicide. Nationally, the 2018 suicide rate was two percent higher than the prior year (after a four percent increase in 2017). Suicide rates increased across all demographics, except for adults ages 18-54 whose rate remained stable. In addition, all racial and ethnic minority groups experienced larger proportional changes in suicide rates than did Whites.

Death by suicide in 2018 was highest among males (23.4 percent per 100,000), those living in rural areas (19.7 per 100,000), Whites (16.8 per 100,000) and American Indian/Alaska Natives (14.1 per 100,000).

State Trends

Between 2017 and 2018, 27 states experienced higher rates (above 0.04%) of alcohol, drug and suicide deaths. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia had lower alcohol, drug and suicide deaths during the same period.

States with the highest alcohol, drugs and suicide death rates in 2018 were: West Virginia (84.9 per 100,000), New Mexico (82.8 per 100,000), New Hampshire (68.2 per 100,000) and Alaska (67.8 per 100,000).

States with the lowest alcohol, drug and suicide rates in 2018 were: Texas (31.7 per 100,000), Mississippi (31.7 per 100,000) and Hawaii (34.6 per 100,000).

# # #

 

Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.  www.tfah.org. Twitter:@HealthyAmerica1

 

Well Being Trust is a national foundation dedicated to advancing the mental, social, and spiritual health of the nation. Created to include participation from organizations across sectors and perspectives, Well Being Trust is committed to innovating and addressing the most critical mental health challenges facing America, and to transforming individual and community well-being. www.wellbeingtrust.org. Twitter: @WellBeingTrust

 

 

 

COVID-19 and the Impact on Communities of Color: Our Nation’s Inequities Exposed

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, communities of color already faced inequitable opportunities for health and well-being. Racial and ethnic health disparities have long existed, largely rooted in structural inequities that have persisted across generations. From the lasting effects of residential segregation to poverty, discrimination, less access to good jobs and economic opportunity, higher rates of insured, less access to health care, and much more, people of color have experienced the undue burden of these inequities.

While everyone is at risk for COVID-19, individuals who have underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. And people of color disproportionately have higher rates of many chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and asthma which are associated with the social determinants of health. Furthermore, people of color are over-represented in low-wage jobs and in many of the front-line jobs designated as essential workers in this pandemic. Now as more cases of and deaths from COVID-19 are identified across the country, this pandemic is revealing the consequences of these longstanding inequities, through the early data reported on the higher rates of cases and deaths among people of color. There is an urgent need to advance equity in the pandemic response and to prevent it from further exacerbating disparities.

New TFAH Web-based Tool Will Help Policymakers Better Understand Their Constituent’s Health Status

(Washington, DC – May, ) Trust for America’s Health has created a new web-based tool that will allow members of Congress, their staff and grassroots health advocates to identify the health needs of constituents and target programs and resources where they are most needed.

The new web tool, How Healthy is your Congressional District? created by TFAH with data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a one-year snapshot of health measures for every congressional district in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These data were reported within the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 2017.

Data, reported nationally, by state and by Congressional district, as part of this website are:

  1. Percentage of adults who lack health insurance
  2. Current percentage of adults who smoke
  3. Cholesterol screening within the previous five years among adults
  4. Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults
  5. Percentage of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes
  6. Percentage of adults who report their general health as fair or poor
  7. Percentage of adults who report they could not see a doctor due to cost
  8. Percentage of adults who have obesity
  9. Percentage of adults who report they have no leisure-time physical activity
  10. Percentage of adults who received a flu shot or flu vaccine during the past 12 months

Ten of the eleven indicators are measures of adults aged 18 years and older; the health insurance measure (#1) is of adults 18-64.

Data should drive policymaking. Toward that goal, TFAH is providing this data reporting tool to policymakers, community leaders, health promotion advocates, and other interested parties. The webpage provides data to policymakers and others who want to know more about the health of their congressional districts.

“Making these comparative data easily available to policymakers will help identify critical action steps and policies that if made will improve the health status of many Americans,” said John Auerbach, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “These data also help identify those districts that are in the greatest need of health-promoting policy interventions”.

Why Analyze by Congressional District?

The webpage is a unique source of information on these select 11 indicators reported by the congressional district. Other existing data sources are most often available at the state or county levels. This lack of data reported at the congressional district level can make it challenging for elected officials, their staff, and local residents and organizations, to gain an accurate picture of the health concerns specific to a district.

There are health-related concerns in every district. The elevated health risk in certain districts is likely a reflection of the social, economic, and environmental conditions related to their demographic composition. These data will assist all of the residents of a district – including the elected officials – to understand what needs to be done to promote optimal health and wellbeing at the local level.

In addition, the constituents of a district may find the information useful in prioritizing their community-level efforts, when seeking resources from private and public organizations, or when tracking trends over time and when conferring with local leaders about issues of concern.

 

When Two Health Risks Merge – Rising Obesity Rates Put More Americans at Risk for Serious Health Impacts of the Novel Coronavirus

High obesity rates in communities of color may be one of a number of factors leading to severe COVID-19 impacts in those communities

(Washington, DC – May 6, 2020) – New data drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that 42.4 percent of U.S. adults age 20 and older have obesity. That rate was up nearly three percentage points from the previous NHANES survey taken in 2015-2016 when 39.6 percent of the nation’s adults had obesity. After remaining relatively stable in the 2000s, these new data represent the third consecutive NHANES survey that found increases in the nation’s adult obesity rate of 2.8, 1.9 and 2.8 percentage points respectively.

The latest survey also showed a continuing pattern of higher rates of obesity in Black and Latino communities than in the White population. Among adults, the prevalence of both obesity and severe obesity was highest in Black adults compared with other races/ethnicities.

Rates of Obesity – U.S. Adults by Race:

  • Blacks – 49.6%
  • Latinos – 44.8%
  • Whites – 42.2%

Rates of Obesity – U.S. Adults by Race and Gender

  • Black Women – 56.9%
  • Black Men – 41.1%
  • Latina Women – 43.7%
  • Latino Men – 45.7%
  • White Women – 39.8 %
  • White Men – 44.7 %

Childhood obesity is also increasing across the country. Having obesity as a child puts you at a higher risk of having obesity as an adult.


Having obesity puts people at higher risk for severe COVID-19 impact
It is well-established that obesity is associated with serious health risks.  The risk of diabetes is closely associated with obesity. In addition, people with obesity have higher levels of pre-existing respiratory and cardiac disease which puts them at higher risk for serious impacts if infected by the novel coronavirus.  In a study in review for publication, researchers at New York University found that obesity is one of three of the most common risk factors for COVID-19 hospitalizations.

The COVID-19 crisis is disproportionately causing severe illness and taking the lives of Black Americans. As of April, of COVID-19 positive tests where the patient’s race/ethnicity was known, 28.5 percent were Black. Blacks make-up 13.4 percent of the U.S. population.  Additional examples include Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Blacks are 28 percent of the county’s population but as of early April were 73 percent of its coronavirus deaths. In Michigan, Blacks are 14 percent of the state’s population and 41 percent of the state’s coronavirus deaths. In Chicago, Blacks are 23 percent of the city’s residents and 58 percent of its coronavirus deaths.

The social, economic, and environmental conditions that lead to higher rates of obesity and other chronic diseases in communities of color are tied to factors that also elevate the risk of COVID-19 related hospitalizations and death.  Factors such as lack of economic opportunities, for example in the form of good jobs with living wages, contribute to obesity by making it more difficult to afford healthier foods or have access to stores that sell affordable healthy produce.  Additional conditions in many communities of color that contribute COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths are living in multigenerational households, working in public-facing jobs that elevate COVID-19 risk (such as work in home health care, grocery stores, delivery services and the public transit system) and less access to healthcare.

“Numerous factors are leading to the tragic overrepresentation of people of color in the nation’s COVID-19 deaths, among them the number of people of color working on the frontlines as essential workers, where telework or physical distancing is not possible,” said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, Trust for America’s Health’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “In addition, high levels of chronic disease within communities of color, such as diabetes and heart disease, are contributing to higher levels of COVID-19 deaths”.

The nation’s obesity crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to interact in additional ways. For example, food insecurity is associated with obesity. An additional contributing factor is lack of physical activity. Unfortunately, COVID-19 will increase both of those concerns as millions of families are currently food insecure due to job loss and many places to exercise such as gyms, community centers and parks are closed.

“The COVID-19 crisis has illuminated systemic and structural inequities that impact the health and well-being of people of color,” Dr. Gracia said. “The factors associated with maintaining a healthy weight are another example of the ways in which where people live, the neighborhood resources available, and the economic opportunities afforded to them drive their health, and are now driving their degree of health risk due to COVID-19.”

While federal and state leaders are immediately focused on protecting lives during the current crisis, investing in programs to stem the rise in the country’s obesity rates will not only improve Americans’ health, it will also make the country more resilient during future health emergencies.

Some of the federal policy actions TFAH recommends to reverse the country’s rising obesity rates are:

  • Congress should fully fund CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity’s SPAN (State Physical Activity and Nutrition program) grants for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Current CDC funding only supports 16 states out of 50 approved applications.
  • Congress should increase funding for CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program which works with community organizations to deliver effective local and culturally appropriate obesity prevention programs in communities that bear a disproportionate burden of chronic disease. Current funding only supports 31 grantees out of 261 approved applications.
  • Build capacity for CDC and public health departments to work with other sectors (such as housing and transportation) to address social determinants of health, the nonmedical factors that affect communities’ health status including rates of obesity.
  • Without decreasing access or benefit levels, ensure that anti-hunger and nutrition-assistance programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and make access to nutritious food a core program tenet.
  • Expand the WIC program to age 6 for children and for two years postpartum for mothers. Fully fund the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program.
  • Increase the price of sugary drinks through excise taxes and use the revenue to address health and socioeconomic disparities. Increasing the price of surgery drinks has been shown to decrease their consumption.
  • Enforce existing laws that direct most health insurers to cover obesity-related preventive services at no-cost sharing to patients. Comprehensive pediatric weight management programs and services should also be covered by Medicaid.
  • Encourage safe physical activity by funding Complete Streets, Vision Zero and other pedestrian safety initiatives through federal transportation and infrastructure funding.
  • In schools, strengthen and expand school nutrition programs beyond federal standards to include universal meals and flexible breakfasts, eliminate all unhealthy food marketing to students, support physical education programs in all schools and expand programs that ensure students can safely walk or ride bicycles to and from school.

See TFAH’s State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America 2019 for additional recommendations on how to stem the country’s obesity crisis. https://www.tfah.org/report-details/stateofobesity20

 

 

 

TFAH Applauds the Introduction of The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020 by Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

(Washington, DC – April 21) – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a non-partisan, independent public health policy, research and advocacy organization, applauds the introduction of the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020  for the critical ways it would address the social, economic and environmental conditions that affect health and wellbeing and drive improved health for millions of Americans.

If enacted, the bill would create a Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Program at the   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through grants, this program would improve the capacity of public health departments and community organizations to address social determinants of health and reduce health care costs by building multi-sector collaborations and addressing policies that currently inhibit good health. Grants would also be issued to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to conduct research on SDOH best practices, provide technical, training and evaluation assistance and/or disseminate those best practices. Lastly, the program would coordinate, support and align SDOH activities at CDC.

The President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, John Auerbach, congratulates Rep. Barragán on the introduction of the bill:

“Now more than ever it is important to address the social and economic conditions, including housing, employment, food security, and education, that contribute significantly to an individual’s health outcomes over their lifetime.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how a community’s resources directly impact the health of its residents. People at a disproportionate risk for serious health impacts from the novel coronavirus are also more likely to suffer secondary consequences, such as loss of income or health care, as a result of the pandemic.

TFAH believes this legislation is an important step to addressing the non-medical social needs of communities and urges Congressional support. The legislation would empower public health departments and community organizations to act as chief health strategists in their communities and lead efforts to convene partners across sectors to build integrated systems and programs that improve health and health equity.

The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020 is an important next step in improving health outcomes, would reduce overall healthcare spending and help address health inequities; TFAH is proud to support this bill.”

In addition to TFAH, original endorsing national organizations include:

1,000 Days, The AIDS Institute, Aligning for Health, American Association of Birth Centers, American Association on Health and Disability, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American College of Preventive Medicine, American Federation of Teachers, American Heart Association, American Kidney Fund, American Medical Student Association, American Public Health Association, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Association of Minority Health Professions Schools, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, ChangeLab Solutions, Coalition for Disability Health Equity, Common Threads, Community Catalyst, Community Cup Classic Foundation, Congregation of Our Lady of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Disabled Sports USA, Epilepsy Alliance America, Families USA, Health Leadership Legacy Project, Health Resources in Action, Healthy Kinder International, Hispanic Federation, Japanese American Citizens League, Lakeshore Foundation, Lutheran Services in America, March of Dimes, NAACP, NASTAD, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, National Association of Counties, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of Social Workers, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Medical Association (NMA), National Network of Public Health Institutes, National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, National REACH Coalition, National WIC Association, National Working Positive Coalition, NERDS RULE INC, Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Participatory Budgeting Project, PFLAG National, Population Health Alliance, Praxis Project, Prevention Institute, Public Health Foundation, RESULTS, Society for Public Health Education, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Treatment Action Group, WE in the World, Well Being Trust, and Wholesome Wave.

TFAH’s summary of the bill can be found here.   For more information on The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020, please contact Daphne Delgado at [email protected].

 

 

Nuevo informe muestra que la respuesta de COVID-19 fue años de fabricación

El financiamiento para los programas de preparación y respuesta de salud pública perdió terreno en el año fiscal 2020 y durante la última década

(Washington, DC – 16 de abril de 2020) – La falta de fondos crónica de los sistemas de preparación para emergencias y salud pública del país ha hecho que el país sea vulnerable a los riesgos de seguridad de la salud, incluida la nueva pandemia de coronavirus, según un nuevo informe publicado hoy por Trust for America’s Health.

El informe, El impacto de la falta de fondos crónica en el sistema de salud pública de Estados Unidos: Tendencias, riesgos y recomendaciones, 2020, examina las tendencias federales, estatales y locales de financiamiento de salud pública y recomienda inversiones y acciones políticas para construir un sistema más sólido, priorizar la prevención y efectivamente abordar los riesgos para la salud del siglo XXI.

“COVID-19 ha puesto de relieve la dura falta de preparación del país para hacer frente a las amenazas al bienestar de los estadounidenses”, dijo John Auerbach, presidente y CEO de Trust for America’s Health. “Años de recortar fondos para programas de salud pública y preparación para emergencias han dejado a la nación con una fuerza laboral de salud pública más pequeña de lo necesario, capacidad de prueba limitada, una reserva nacional insuficiente y sistemas de seguimiento de enfermedades arcaicas – en resumen, herramientas del siglo XX para lidiando con los desafíos del siglo XXI “.

Imagen mixta para la financiación de los CDC para el año fiscal 2020

Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) de los Estados Unidos. Son la agencia de salud pública líder del país. El presupuesto general de los CDC para el año fiscal 2020 es de $ 7.92 mil millones: un aumento de $ 645 millones, 9 por ciento sobre el financiamiento de los CDC para el año fiscal 2019, 7 por ciento en dólares ajustados por inflación. El mayor aumento del año fiscal 2020 fue una inversión única en edificios e instalaciones (+ $ 225 millones). Otros aumentos incluyeron fondos para la iniciativa Ending HIV (+ $ 140 millones) y pequeños aumentos para programas de prevención de suicidio y enfermedades crónicas.

Financiamiento de preparación para emergencias este año y por más de una década

Los fondos para los programas de preparación y respuesta de salud pública de los CDC disminuyeron entre los presupuestos del año fiscal 2019 y el año fiscal 2020, de $ 858 millones en el año fiscal 2019 a $ 850 millones en el año fiscal 2020. Los fondos del programa de los CDC para la preparación para emergencias en el año fiscal 2020 ($ 7.92 mil millones) son menores que fue en el año fiscal 2011 ($ 7.99 mil millones en dólares del año fiscal 2020), después de ajustar por inflación.

Los fondos para los programas de preparación y respuesta ante emergencias de salud pública estatales y locales también se han reducido, en aproximadamente un tercio desde 2003. Y, de gran preocupación ahora, los fondos para el Programa de Preparación Hospitalaria, la única fuente federal de fondos para ayudar a la prestación de atención médica. El sistema de preparación y respuesta ante emergencias se ha reducido a la mitad desde 2003.

La acción federal para promulgar tres paquetes de fondos suplementarios para apoyar la respuesta a la pandemia COVID-19 fue crítica. Pero son ajustes a corto plazo que no fortalecen la capacidad central a largo plazo del sistema de salud pública, según los autores del informe. Se necesitan incrementos sostenidos de fondos anuales para garantizar que nuestros sistemas de seguridad de salud e infraestructura de salud pública estén a la altura de la tarea de proteger a todas las comunidades.

El descuido habitual de la salud pública en la nación, excepto durante emergencias, es un problema de larga data. “Las emergencias que amenazan la salud y el bienestar de los estadounidenses son cada vez más frecuentes y más graves. Estos incluyen incendios forestales e inundaciones, la crisis de opioides, el aumento de la obesidad y las enfermedades crónicas, y este año un brote de sarampión, lesiones pulmonares graves debido al vapeo y la peor pandemia en un siglo. Debemos comenzar a hacer inversiones año tras año en salud pública”, dijo Auerbach.

Además de apoyar las actividades federales, los fondos federales también son la fuente principal de financiamiento para la mayoría de los programas de salud pública locales y estatales. Durante el año fiscal 2018, el 55 por ciento de los gastos de salud pública de los estados, en promedio, fueron financiados por fuentes federales. Por lo tanto, los recortes en el gasto federal tienen un grave efecto de goteo en los programas estatales y locales. Entre el año fiscal 2016 y el año fiscal 2018, los gastos estatales de dinero federal para actividades de salud pública disminuyeron de $ 16.3 mil millones a $ 12.8 mil millones. Además de los recortes federales, algunos estados también han reducido los fondos de salud pública. Más del 20 por ciento de los estados (once) recortaron sus fondos de salud pública entre 2018 y 2019.

Estos recortes de fondos han llevado a reducciones significativas de la fuerza laboral en los departamentos de salud pública estatales y locales. En el 2017, el 51 por ciento de los grandes departamentos locales de salud pública informaron pérdidas de empleos. Algunas de las posiciones pérdidas fueron en el personal de salud pública de primera línea que habría sido movilizado para combatir la pandemia de COVID-19.

El informe incluye 28 recomendaciones de políticas para mejorar la preparación para emergencias del país en cuatro áreas prioritarias:

  • mayor financiamiento para fortalecer la infraestructura de salud pública y la fuerza laboral, incluida la modernización de los sistemas de datos y las capacidades de vigilancia.
  • mejorar la preparación para emergencias, incluida la preparación para eventos relacionados con el clima y brotes de enfermedades infecciosas.
  • salvaguardar y mejorar la salud de los estadounidenses invirtiendo en la prevención de enfermedades crónicas y la prevención del abuso de sustancias y el suicidio.
  • abordar los determinantes sociales de la salud y avanzar en la equidad en salud.

El informe también respalda el llamado de más de 100 organizaciones de salud pública para que el Congreso aumente el presupuesto de los CDC en un 22 por ciento para el año fiscal 2022.

 

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Trust for America’s Health es una organización sin fines de lucro y no partidista que promueve la salud óptima para cada persona y comunidad y hace de la prevención de enfermedades y lesiones una prioridad nacional. Twitter: @healthyamerica1