The County Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing April 3 – 9, 2023 as Public Health Week in Caroline County at their April 4 meeting.
Health Officer Robin Cahall and the Health Department’s leadership team were in attendance to receive the proclamation and talk about the important role public health plays in creating healthy communities and improving quality of life.
The full text of the Proclamation reads:
Whereas residents of rural areas like Caroline County are far more likely to experience adverse health outcomes, including increases in chronic health conditions like diabetes and hypertension, obesity, and behavioral health conditions, than those living in suburban and urban environments;
Whereas these adverse health outcomes are because rural residents are often more likely to face social determinants that negatively impact health, such as poverty, transportation barriers, and lack of economic opportunity, as well as limited healthcare access;
Whereas National Public Health Week seeks to recognize the positive impact local health departments and the public health workforce have on the health and wellness of individuals and communities,
Whereas as the county’s public health agency, the Caroline County Health Department’s mission is to overcome these challenges to protect and improve the health of the people of Caroline County;
Whereas the employees of the Caroline County Health Department are passionate about making our community a healthier place to live through the delivery of high-quality services that provide clinical care and non-clinical support across the lifespan and protect the environment;
Whereas each day of National Public Health week focuses on a different theme vital to the success of public health efforts:
- Community: We seek to increase support, connection, and inclusion between residents to reduce isolation, loneliness, anxiety, and depression, while building stronger, more resilient communities
- Violence Prevention: We seek to build a community where all people are safe from violence, including gun violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and child abuse and neglect
- Reproductive and Sexual Health: We seek to foster equitable access to reproductive care, an end to higher rates of pregnancy related deaths and complications in women of color, and an increase in safe sexual practices in order to reduce sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies
- Rural Health: We seek to improve the mental and physical health of rural residents by addressing barriers to healthcare access, helping to grow the healthcare workforce, and addressing health disparities
- Accessibility: We seek to make healthcare more accessible to communities of color, non-English speakers, and individuals with disabilities because we know that a community isn’t healthy until it addresses the health of all its members
- Food and Nutrition: We seek to improve access to affordable, healthy food for children and adults in order to combat obesity and end food insecurity in our community
NOW, THEREFORE, we, the County Commissioners of Caroline County, do hereby proclaim the week of April 3 – 9, 2023 as National Public Health Week in Caroline County and call upon the people of our community to observe this week by helping our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and leaders to better understand the value of public health and to join us in thanking the staff of the Caroline County Health Department for their dedication in creating a healthier, safer community for all.