Investments in Public Health and Prevention Save Lives and Money

Social Security: Public Health nursing made available through child welfare services.

From the  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF):

Investments in Public Health and Prevention Save
Lives and Money

Even though America spends more than $2 trillion annually on health care—more
than any other nation in the world—tens of millions of Americans suffer every
day from preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some
forms of cancer, which rob them of their health and quality of life. A series of
research reports funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provides
valuable new information for policy-makers and other public officials who are
looking for ways to help Americans stay healthy and get the economy back on
track.

A new RWJF policy brief highlights recent evidence indicating that strategic
investments in proven, community-based prevention programs could both save lives
and result in significant U.S. health care cost savings and overall economic
cost savings. The brief—Return on Investments in Public Health and
Prevention: A Summary of Groundbreaking Research Studies—highlights the
findings and recommendations from four studies released between 2008 and 2011.
The studies—several of which were funded by RWJF—reveal that public health
investments can help prevent chronic disease, reduce escalating health costs and
improve our overall economy.

Additionally, a new report by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH)—also funded
by RWJF—features six case studies across the United States illustrating how the
link between public health and economic development can play out locally. From
San Diego, Calif., to Hernando, Miss., the report examines innovative public
health initiatives that are attracting businesses, improving workplace wellness,
and providing a spark to local economies.

 

• Read
  RWJF’s policy brief, Return
  on Investments in Public Health.
• Read
  TFAH’s issue brief, Healthier
  Americans for a Healthier Economy.
• Read a Q&A
  with Tom Mason, president of the Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota, onNewPublicHealth.org.

Related articles

• Jeffrey Levi: Healthier Americans and a Healthier Economy Go Hand in Hand (huffingtonpost.com)
• The Potential to Solve Perplexing Health Problems (rwjfblogs.typepad.com)
• The Burden Of Blood Disorders, A Public Health Issue (medicalnewstoday.com)