When people think about why we’re living longer than we did 100 years ago, most think it’s because of medical and surgical breakthroughs like new drugs, better surgeries, advanced cancer treatment and high-tech hospitals.
Those are good things to be sure and have helped. But the heavy lifting has been done by implementing evidence based public health policies.
Things like clean drinking water, worker safety regulations, safer roads, seat belts and airbags, vaccines, and tobacco control have saved far more lives than medical care… by preventing accidents, injuries, infections, and cancers. These are the quiet wins of public health… policies and systems that prevent people from getting sick or hurt in the first place.
That’s exactly what we celebrate each year during National Public Health Week. You can learn more about it and this week’s activities here.
National Public Health Week is led by the American Public Health Association, our parent organization. As an APHA affiliate, we’re part of a national effort that’s been improving health for more than 150 years.
APHA’s mission is straightforward: improve the health of all people and all communities. They support the public health workforce, speak up for science-based policies, and help shape federal decisions that change health across the country. They also publish leading resources like the American Journal of Public Health and bring thousands of professionals together each year to share research and ideas.
So what kinds of public health actions have made the biggest difference?
Start with clean water and sanitation. Once cities began treating drinking water and managing waste, deaths from infectious diseases dropped fast.
Vaccines are another major driver. They’ve nearly ended diseases that once killed or disabled thousands of children every year (until the recent anti vax movement).
Arizona-Utah measles outbreak surpasses 500 cases
Then there are safety policies like seatbelt laws, workplace protections, and safer cars. These changes reduced deaths from injuries and accidents.
Tobacco control is another big one. Policies like smoke-free laws, warning labels, and taxes have helped drive down smoking rates and with them, lung cancer and heart disease (still the top two leading causes of death).
Food safety, maternal and infant care, and disease tracking systems also play a role. Together, these efforts add up to longer, healthier lives for millions of people.
Here in Arizona, that work continues every day. Public health professionals across the state and especially at the county health departments are improving behavioral health systems, expanding access to care, and building healthier communities.
National Public Health Week is a good time to recognize and celebrate that progress and the professionals like you that are behind it.
Because the truth is simple: the best healthcare system in the world can’t compete with stopping problems before they start.
That’s what we in public health have been doing for the last century!
