Supporters of public health in Georgia are launching “Partner Up! For Public Health,” a campaign aimed at educating policy makers and the public about the need to reinvest in and rebuild the state’s system.
The state’s public health system has been decimated through a series of state budget cuts. Since 2000, Georgia’s population has grown 20 percent but per capita state spending for the public health system has been cut 21 percent.
Today, per capita state spending on public health in Georgia is about four cents a day, among the lowest in the nation. Yet Georgia historically ranks near the bottom of state-by-state rankings of overall health system performance and is among the nation’s worst states in measurements of obesity, diabetes, smoking, cardiovascular deaths, low birthweight babies, pre-term births, infant mortality, teen birth rate and infectious diseases.
The campaign is underwritten by a grant from Healthcare Georgia Foundation, a statewide, private independent foundation. To date, the campaign has rolled out its website, (www.togetherwecandobetter.com), held leadership academies in Savannah, Tifton, Athens and Rome to prepare effective advocates, and assembled a 27-member advisory board. For more information, go to www.healthcaregeorgia.org.
The state’s public health system has been decimated through a series of state budget cuts. Since 2000, Georgia’s population has grown 20 percent but per capita state spending for the public health system has been cut 21 percent.
Today, per capita state spending on public health in Georgia is about four cents a day, among the lowest in the nation. Yet Georgia historically ranks near the bottom of state-by-state rankings of overall health system performance and is among the nation’s worst states in measurements of obesity, diabetes, smoking, cardiovascular deaths, low birthweight babies, pre-term births, infant mortality, teen birth rate and infectious diseases.
The campaign is underwritten by a grant from Healthcare Georgia Foundation, a statewide, private independent foundation. To date, the campaign has rolled out its website, (www.togetherwecandobetter.com), held leadership academies in Savannah, Tifton, Athens and Rome to prepare effective advocates, and assembled a 27-member advisory board. For more information, go to www.healthcaregeorgia.org.