Each decade since 1980, the HHS has released a comprehensive set of national public health objectives. Known as Healthy People, the initiative has been grounded in the notion that setting objectives and providing benchmarks to track and monitor progress can motivate, guide, and focus action.
The HHS convened the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2020 to aid in the process of developing the next decade’s guidelines. The Advisory Committee was charged with providing advice and consultation to the Secretary: 1) to facilitate the development and implementation of national health promotion and disease prevention goals and objectives, and 2) to inform the development of initiatives that will occur during initial implementation of the goals and objectives.
The December 2 launch program included remarks by HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, M.D., and members of the Advisory Committee; an introduction and orientation to the Healthy People 2020 website and objectives; and a panel discussion about the uses of Healthy People 2020.
For more information about the Healthy People 2020 initiative, please visit www.healthypeople.gov/HP2020.
