Healthy Minnesota 2020 is a framework for creating and improving health throughout the state of Minnesota, based on the statewide health assessment, The Health of Minnesota, and adopted by the Healthy Minnesota Partnership on July 30, 2012.
The framework features three themes that reflect the importance of social and economic determinants for health: capitalize on the opportunity to influence health in early childhood; assure that the opportunity for health is available everywhere and for everyone, and strengthen communities to create their own healthy futures. The framework also identifies nine core indicators to monitor and provides examples of a range of strategies that relate to each of the three themes.
The emphasis in Healthy Minnesota 2020 is on creating conditions that allow people to be healthy, conditions that assure a healthy start and that set the stage for healthy choices throughout life. Healthy Minnesota 2020 is not a program for any single agency or organization to implement, but is a guide for activity on many fronts. It does not spell out action to take on specific diseases or conditions, but hopes to expand understanding and encourage activity on creating the kinds of environments and opportunities for health that will make a difference for our individual and collective health in the long run.
Healthy Minnesota 2020: Chronic Disease and Injury Plan is a companion document to Healthy Minnesota 2020: Statewide Health Improvement Framework. Though public health has made great strides fighting infectious and communicable disease, chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer have emerged as some of the greatest threats to the health and well-being of Minnesotans. In 2010, chronic diseases accounted for the seven leading causes of death in Minnesota. These diseases are the cause of a great deal of suffering, shorten life, and are costly in terms of medical care and lost economic opportunities.
Healthy Minnesota 2020: Chronic Disease and Injury Plan calls for a renewed focus on preventing these diseases and defines 12 broad objectives, including reducing falls, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, increasing physical activity, reducing tobacco use and binge drinking, and improving management of diabetes, heart disease and oral health. The plan also presents recommended strategies for reaching these objectives.