Skip Navigation
Link to HHS WebsiteDepartment of Health & Human Services
 
Link to Administration on Aging HomePage
  Home > Press Room > News & Information
Home
About AoA
Press Room
Elders & Families
Emergency Preparedness
Aging Statistics
AoA Programs
Program Results
Grant Opportunities
Resize Email This Page Print

Acting Surgeon General Issues 'Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes'

On June 9, 2009, Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H.issued The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes. The Call to Action looks at the ways housing can affect health; its release will initiate a national dialogue about the importance of healthy homes. Some examples outlined in the Call to Action include preventing falls by taking measures such as installing grab bars in showers and preparing a fire escape plan. Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults. Galson urged everyone from parents and homebuilders to community leaders and policy makers to embrace the holistic approach to creating healthy homes outlined in the Call to Action. During the event, Ron Sims, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also announced the release of HUD's Healthy Homes Strategic Plan. HUD's plan demonstrates why healthy homes is a national priority, describes what steps should be taken to achieve healthier housing, and highlights the key public and private partners for implementation. The Call to Action outlines the next steps of a society-wide approach to healthy homes that will result in the greatest possible public health impact and reduction of disparities in the availability of healthy, safe, affordable, accessible, and environmentally friendly homes. The Call to Action also highlights the need for research that links housing conditions with specific health outcomes and that highlights the impact of disparate access to safe, healthy, affordable, and accessible homes. The outcomes of this research should result in tangible improvements to people's lives by translating practice into policy. The release of this document is part of a larger Healthy Homes Initiative led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and HUD with support from such organizations as the National Center for Healthy Housing, the Alliance for Healthy Homes, and the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning. Please visit www.surgeongeneral.gov for more healthy home information, to download The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, or to listen to a podcast from the Acting Surgeon General. To order a printed copy of The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, call 1-800-CDC-INFO or email cdcinfo@cdc.gov and reference the publication title. Please also visit: www.cdc.gov/healthyhomes and www.hud.gov/healthyhomes .



Last Modified: 7/16/2009 9:07:31 AM