California continues to meet or exceed key health objectives, including reducing the teen birth rate, decreasing infant mortality rate for all ethnic groups and lowering the death rate from all causes, including lung cancer, announced Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state public health officer, as he launched activities to commemorate California’s Public Health Week, April 2-8, 2012. This year’s theme is “A Healthier America Begins Today: Join the Movement”.

“The health of Californians continues to improve as more families choose healthier lifestyles and make good nutritional changes, including physical activity, which reduces cancer and heart disease,” Chapman said. “Yet the report also shows that work remains to improve public health for all Californians.”

The 19th edition of the report, County Health Status Profiles 2012, is based on data collected from 2008 through 2010. The report contains selected health status indicators recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These indicators help monitor state and local progress toward achieving goals in the national Healthy People 2010 Initiative (HP 2010), which challenges public health professionals to increase the span of healthy life, reduce health disparities and ensure access to preventive services for all Americans.

CDPH in conjunction with the California Conference of Local Health Officers produced the 2012 Report. Highlights include:

• California met the Healthy People 2010 National Objectives for death rates for the following categories: all cancers, lung cancer, female breast cancer, prostate cancer, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and motor vehicle traffic crashes, and continued a downward movement from the 2005-2007 averages.

• Adolescent mother birthrates declined by slightly over 14 percent (between the 2008-2010 and 2005-2007 averages).

• Motor vehicle traffic crash death rates declined from 11.1 to 7.9 per 100,000 and reflect the highest area of positive improvement at 29.4% reduction.

• Gonorrhea incidences declined by 25.6 percent (88.4 to 65.8 per 100,000).

• AIDS incidences declined by 24.4 percent (12.4 to 9.4 per 100,000).

• Diabetes death rates declined by 11.1 percent (21.9 to 19.5 per 100,000).

• However, deaths as a result of Alzheimer’s disease and suicides increased.

For more information on 2012 County Health Status Profiles, please visit: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/Pubs/OHIRProfiles2012.pdf

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