News Release

U.S. Surgeon General Rolls Out 2005 Agenda: The Year of the Healthy Child

U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona today rolled out his 2005 agenda, announcing it as The Year of the Healthy Child. The Year of the Healthy Child agenda will focus on improving the body, mind, and spirit of the growing child. A healthy child begins before birth, so the Office of the Surgeon General will highlight steps that women should take to keep themselves healthy, especially when they are considering becoming pregnant. This includes a healthful diet, exercise, and eliminating tobacco use and alcohol consumption.

"We know that the health needs of children grow into the health problems of adulthood, so this year I will be taking a hard look at ways to improve the health of children both domestically and internationally," U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona said. "By improving the holistic health of our children, we can ensure a healthier population for the next generation."

In addition to pre-pregnancy, the Office of the Surgeon General will also focus attention on prenatal care and childbirth and early childhood development as part of his 2005 agenda. As a child grows, so does the child's health needs, so the Office of the Surgeon General will address, among other things, immunizations, childhood obesity, illness and injury prevention, healthy indoor environment, mental health, child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol use prevention, and safe teen driving.

Building on Dr. Carmona's "50 Schools in 50 States Initiative," the Office of the Surgeon General will continue to work with partners and school districts to reach into classrooms across the country to encourage students to stay in school. In addition, the Office of the Surgeon General will encourage more students, especially minorities, to focus on excelling in math and in the hard sciences.

And finally, the enthusiasm of children and teens is often overlooked within their communities. The Office of the Surgeon General will work to harness their energy and partner them with local institutions to promote volunteerism, civic responsibility, and patriotism.

NOTE: All Surgeon General press releases, reports and other materials are available at www.surgeongeneral.gov

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last revised: January 4, 2007