Seven out of 10 deaths in the United States are due to preventable chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, statistics show. In fact, chronic disease accounts for 75 percent of national health care spending, yet only 3 percent of health care dollars go toward prevention, according to the Yolo County Health Department.
“The good news is there are steps that can be taken to turn these statistics around,” a news release said.
To find out how, the community is invited to attend the Public Health Wellness Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Yolo County Health Department, 137 N. Cottonwood St. in Woodland.
The fair is one of hundreds of events happening in communities nationwide in observance of National Public Health Week (April 1-7). Free activities will include Tdap immunizations, lead poisoning prevention demonstrations, child car seat inspections, health check screenings (blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index), sidewalk CPR and information related to nutrition, emergency preparedness, environmental health, WIC and breastfeeding peer counseling.
“The theme of this year’s Public Health Week is on target — Public Health is Return on Investment: Save Lives, Save Money,” said Yolo County Health Officer Constance Caldwell, M.D. “Preventing diseases before they start is critical to helping people live longer, healthier lives, while managing health-related costs.
“Many small preventive steps can add up to make a big difference in transforming a health care system focused on treatment to one that equally values prevention.”
Added Supervisor Duane Chamberlain, chairman of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, “Chronic diseases cause Americans to miss 2.5 billion days of work each year, resulting in lost productivity totaling more than $1 trillion. Strong public health systems are critical for sustaining and improving community health.”
Yolo County’s Public Health Wellness Fair is supported by Yolo County departments, Woodland Bike Campaign, Yolo County Children’s Alliance, Woodland Catholic Healthcare West, Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District, UC Davis Fire Department, Food Bank of Yolo County, CommuniCare Health Centers, First 5 Yolo, American Medical Response, Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Center and RSVP-Yolo.