Healthy People 2020 Essay

Healthy People 2020
Healthy People 2020 is an initiative that was founded by the Department of Health and Human Services in December 2010 with the core objective of bringing about a reliable public healthcare system. It contained 911 clearly defined objectives during its inception. Today, the goals have been increased to about 1,200, and are structured into 42 key topic areas (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Healthy], 2015). A critical analysis of the initiative identifies the following four major goals that its founders intended to achieve.
a) To facilitate the attainment of quality lives that are free of avoidable diseases, injuries, disability, and early deaths.
b) To enhance the realization of health equity, get rid of disparities,

and improve the state of health of all groups.
c) To create social and physical environments that upholds the health of every individual.
d) To promote high living standards, development in a healthy environment, and healthy manners across all life stages.
Social Benefits of Healthy People 2020
Programs that are run by the Healthy People 2020 initiative focus on implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a policy that requires every non-profit hospital facility in the US to undertake an assessment of community health needs. Upon conclusion of the evaluation, the organizations are required to develop and implement strategies that address health challenges and provide the identified community with crucial medical services. The requirement has greatly contributed to the improvement of the state of health of all groups of individuals in the US.
Furthermore, Healthy People 2020 has expanded studies that clarify the health benefits of consumption of an appropriate diet.

Among the benefits of adherence to a healthy diet is maintaining a healthy body weight. The initiative emphasizes that people should change their behaviors in order to be healthy. It stipulates policies that need to be implemented to create an environment that supports healthy behaviors in various settings such as schools, places of work, medical institutions, and in the society (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Healthy], 2015). The efforts have significantly reduced diet-related ailments. Research also shows that the campaign for a healthy nutrition has raised the level of awareness on household food

security.
Economic Gains that are brought by Healthy People 2020
The implementation of the Healthy People 2020 has greatly improved the health, development, safety, and the well-being of the wider American society.

The initiative takes cognizance of the fact that adolescence and young adulthood stages are crucial periods in lives of human beings because individuals are usually highly active (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Healthy], 2015). Focusing on improving the health of people at the ages has significantly improved the rate of productivity, resulting into economic improvement.
Similarly, studies have shown that Healthy People 2020 has greatly reduced financial burdens that result from preventable health problems. It has lowered the prevalence of the ailments; thus, limiting medication expenses that individuals and the state incur. Resources that would have been spent on medication are used to expand economic activities that enhance the well-being of the society. Furthermore, various health programs that are intended for the youth have prevented long-term costs of chronic diseases, which are mainly caused by risky adolescent behaviors (Healthy People [Adolescent],

2016).
Another economic impact of the implementation of some Healthy People 2020 programs is success in medical research. The academic success and achievements are strong predictors of the overall health outcomes. Medical experts agree that knowledge on maintenance of a healthy community results into a decline in perilous behaviors and increased adoption of healthy behaviors (Healthy People [Health-related], 2016). It also promotes implementation of measures that enable the population to overcome challenges that contribute to health challenges.
Cultural Gains that are brought by Healthy People 2020
The founders of Healthy People 2020 took cognizance of the fact that various ideas regarding healthy behaviors are formed from the information that people acquire on a daily basis. The health initiative guides the society to implement information sharing strategies in a manner that upholds key cultural values such as the use of languages that are to be understood by individuals from different backgrounds. The measure has enhanced local community participation in health management. It has also promoted comprehension of health-related interventions that are undertaken by the government to improve access to medical care.
Furthermore, Healthy People 2020’s focus on cultural factors that affect the wellbeing of people has enabled the government and health institutions to shift from putting emphasis on treatment to addressing cultural factors that are the root causes of diseases. The change has promoted efforts that facilitate the achievement equity in the allocation of medical resources, leading to better health outcomes for all individuals (Healthy People [Health-related], 2016). Furthermore, the initiative promotes cross-cultural cooperation in addressing health issues, which bolters the government’s efforts of enhancing health equity across all regions.

References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Healthy people 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2020.htm.
Healthy People. (2016). Adolescent health. Retrieved February 18, 2016, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/Adolescent-Health.
Healthy People. (2016). Health-related quality of life & well-being. Retrieved February 18, 2016, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/health-related-quality-of-life-well-being.