On the Healthy People 2020 website, peruse the Overview, Objectives, and
Interventions and Resources pages for these topics (see link to index under Preparation
column):
Immunization and Infectious Diseases
Sexually transmitted diseases
HIV
Choose one topic to discuss in detail, and in a 3-5 page paper in APA format. Include:
History of disease.
Global/ National/ State/ County statistics.
Current prevention efforts.
Future goals for prevention.
Nurses role in education and prevention.
Community programs/ organizations/ support groups.
Reference the pages of the website you use and two other scholarly sources.
Healthy People 2020 Disease Topic
Healthy People 2020 is a program that was updated from Healthy People 2000 and
Healthy People 2010; which were early developed from a 1979 and 1990s programs. The
program is characterized with nationwide disease prevention and health promotion goals.
Findings show that United States Department of Health and Human Services spearheads the
operations of Healthy People 2020 (Healthypeople.gov, 013). It has been noted that
HealthCorps is an example of a program that came into operations as a result of the Healthy
People 2020 (Krisberg, 2012).
Immunization and Infectious Diseases
The goal of immunization and infectious diseases approach is to increase the rates of
immunization and at the same minimize the rates of infectious diseases that are preventable
(Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2020, 2011). Surveys have indicated that
United States has experienced an increase in the number of human beings, an indication that
the life expectancy has enlarged with the influence of high child survival; basing on the
medical interventions (Krisberg, 2012). In earlier times, child mortality was a big issue that
threatened the existence of human beings. Some of the vaccine preventable diseases identity
with influenza, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis (TB); surveys have indicated that vaccine
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 DISEASE TOPIC 2
preventable diseases contribute to a significant percentage of deaths of people in the United
States (Healthypeople.gov, 2013).
Surveys have shown that the increase in the child survival is attributed to
immunization that has made it possible in dealing with infectious disease mortality.
Irrespective of the current medical improvements and interventions, it has been noted that
infectious diseases contributes to a significant number of people suffering from disability,
illnesses and eventual death (Krisberg, 2012). Taking a critical look at United States, it is
argued that immunization recommendations targets around seventeen vaccine preventable
diseases that attack human beings in the course of life (Leading Health Indicators for Healthy
People 2020, 2011).
Health People 2020 practice and goals are pegged on infectious diseases and
immunization in accessing evidence based community and clinical services and activities in
treating and preventing infectious diseases (Healthypeople.gov, 2013). Technology is being
applied by Healthy People 2020 in making sure that the diseases are tackled at the State
levels, nongovernmental organizations and in the local public health departments among
others (Schneider, 2012).
Socialization and globalization has presented a major challenge in dealing with
infectious diseases, people are ever moving than before, an indication that geographical and
international boundaries cannot be relied in the control of infectious diseases (Leading Health
Indicators for Healthy People 2020, 2011). The current society is mobile, a factor that
facilitates a faster spread of the infectious diseases across the globe. Current prevention
efforts are attached to awareness, treatment courses and completing prevention are the major
components applied in reducing the transmission of infectious diseases (Healthypeople.gov,
2013).
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 DISEASE TOPIC 3
People in the twenty first century are more enlightened than in the previous
generations. Technology has made it easy for people to communicate along the globe. It is
argued that making the public aware on the infectious diseases is a priority of United States.
Healthy People 2020 argue that infectious diseases and immunization are critical, in that
people in America are continually being infected with preventable diseases.
The government of the United States has spent huge chunks of money in dealing with
the preventable diseases (Krisberg, 2012). Disease surveillance in the United States is carried
out by the infectious diseases public health infrastructure. The surveillance is carried out at
Federal levels, State levels and also at the local Levels. The surveillance is an essential tool
for developing future goals in preventing the spread of infectious diseases (Leading Health
Indicators for Healthy People 2020, 2011).
Nurses have an active role in preventing and educating people on infectious diseases.
Nurses insist that patients must use vaccines in the right way, proper administration of
antibiotics, observing proper testing and screening procedures and employing scientific
improvements in dealing with health concerns pegged to the infectious diseases diagnoses
(Schneider, 2012).
American government encourages people to identify with the support groups,
community programs and organizations dealing with preventable diseases. It has been noted
that immunization is one of the most cost effective models of addressing preventable diseases
in clinical preventative services (Healthypeople.gov, 2013). There are many programs in the
United States dealing with childhood immunizations, surveys have shown that such programs
has yielded high (ROI) Return On Investment in previous decades.
An example of child immunization program indicated that the routine schedule circles
on Td, Polio, DTap, Hib, Hep B, Variella vaccines and MMR among others. Immunization in
the United States is believed to have saved more than thirty three thousand lives in a year,
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 DISEASE TOPIC 4
immunization has prevented more that fourteen million chances of people contracting
preventable diseases, immunization reduces health care costs amounting to more than nine
point nine United States billion dollars that has been saved in indirect costs
(Healthypeople.gov, 2013); emerging issues in dealing with infectious diseases and
immunization calls for culturally acceptable medical interventions, new ways of dealing with
infectious diseases and agents and in dealing with environmental challenges (Krisberg, 2012).
Healthy People is scientifically positioned in durations of ten years, the national
objectives are geared at improving the overall health of the people in the United States
(Schneider, 2012). Surveys done for the last three decades indicated that Healthy People are
on encouraging active collaborations in sectors and communities, evaluate the impact of
activities pegged to the prevention of diseases and empowering people towards making
informed decisions in relations to health matters (Healthypeople.gov, 2013).
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 DISEASE TOPIC 5
References
Healthypeople.gov. (2013). Immunization and Infectious Diseases.
Krisberg, K. (2012). Healthy People 2020 tackling social determinants of health: input
sought from health work force. New York: Garland Science.
Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2020. (2011). National Academy of Sciences ,
1-4.
Schneider, M. (2012). Supp: Healthy People 2020 Supplement. Burlington, Massachusetts:
Jones & Bartlett Learning.