CDC Launches Public Awareness Campaign on Health Issues Facing Seniors

The CDC has launched a public awareness campaign on health issues faced by elderly U.S. residents, including those with disabilities, AP/Newark Star-Ledger reports. For the first time, Healthy People 2010, a program sponsored by the CDC to promote public health, will include a national campaign to "promote the health of people with disabilities, prevent secondary conditions and eliminate disparities in the U.S. population." According to Dr. John Crews, a health scientist at the CDC, "Disability will continue to be a major public health issue for older people in the coming years. ... Data from Healthy People 2010 points to the complexity of aging and disability." The CDC hopes that the campaign will promote "health-enhancing" social activities for elderly U.S. residents with disabilities, improve their access to health and wellness programs, reduce their rates of depression and reduce "environmental barriers" that can limit their mobility and activity and result in injury. In addition, the CDC will join with states to establish "state-based surveillance" and promote health programs to track disability rates and address problems related to disabilities. The CDC also has partnered with the American Society on Aging and the Journalists Exchange on Aging to increase public awareness about health issues faced by a "rapidly aging U.S. population" (Friedman, AP/Newark Star-Ledger, 10/17).