July 2018

Preventing Teen Substance Use in Washington State

Teen substance use can harm brain development and increase the risk of addiction later in life. Nationally, over 14% of U.S. teens use alcohol or drugs. In Washington State, the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey found that 20% of 10th grade students drink alcohol and 17% use marijuana—and these students report lower grades in school than students who don’t use those substances.

Shifting the Health Literacy Mindset to Enhance People-Centred Health Services

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), today's health services are not fit for the 21st-century challenges. Globally, more than 400 million people lack access to essential health care. Where health care is accessible, it is often fragmented and of poor quality. However, WHO’s newly launched framework on integrated people-centred health services is a call for a fundamental shift in the way we fund, manage, and deliver health services. It sustains countries’ progress towards universal health coverage by shifting away from health systems designed around diseases and health institutions towards health systems designed for people.