Healthy People

Since 1980, the Healthy People initiative has set measurable objectives to improve the health and well-being of people nationwide. At the beginning of every decade, we launch a new iteration of the initiative that addresses the latest public health priorities and challenges. 

Healthy People 2030 is the initiative’s fifth iteration.

Go to Healthy People 2030

Hypertension: a Pandemic Perspective

Health and Well-Being Matter. ODPHP Director RDML Paul Reed, MD.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, puts tens of millions of people at risk for largely preventable conditions — such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure — and premature death. Hypertension is one of the leading modifiable risk factors causing chronic disease and premature mortality in the United States. Yet a large percentage of Americans are unaware that they have hypertension, and only about 1 in 4 adults in the United States have it under control. Preventing and controlling hypertension for Americans will save lives, reduce inordinate costs, and improve health, well-being, and resilience. The first step toward these outcomes is acknowledging that hypertension, sometimes called the “silent killer” for often going undetected before leading to serious harm, is also a “silent pandemic” — and though it’s not a contagious threat in the traditional sense, hypertension needs to be addressed with even greater attention and urgency. The statistics clearly define the problem.

Registration Is Now Open for the Next Healthy People 2030 Webinar, “Planning for Individual and Community Health”

Healthy People 2030

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) is pleased to announce its next Healthy People 2030 webinar: Planning for Individual and Community Health. This webinar will take place on Tuesday, March 19 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm ET. During this event, ODPHP will present on the webinar’s four featured objectives related to public health infrastructure and planning. The webinar will also feature a presentation by the Centers for Disease Control National Center for Health Statistics to share the latest data on the four featured objectives and a presentation by Healthy People 2030 Champion, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, on their efforts to address public health infrastructure at the state and local level. Continuing Education Credits* (CEs) are available.

Prevention Is Still the Best Medicine

Health and Well-Being Matter. ODPHP Director RDML Paul Reed, MD.

Clinical preventive services (CPS) play an integral role in protecting and promoting individual health and the health of communities. Such services can help people recognize health problems early, when treatment often is most effective. CPS can also help prevent certain diseases altogether. However, despite the benefits, very few people in the United States receive all recommended preventive services and many access few. As public health professionals, we have a responsibility to not just deliver the message about the critical role that CPS play in supporting good health, but also work to expand CPS access in whatever ways we can.