HHS NEWS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 20, 2000

ON-SITE Press Room 1/25-28:  (202) 756-5224

NEW NATIONAL HEALTH GOALS TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 25, 2000
Healthy People Initiative Sets Agenda for New Century

HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala and Assistant Secretary for Health and
Surgeon General David Satcher will release the Healthy People 2010
initiative at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 25, 2000 at the HHS-sponsored
Partnerships for Health in the New Millennium conference taking place in the
Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.  A press conference will follow at
10:45 a.m. in the Diplomat Room.  Healthy People 2010 contains
broad-reaching national health goals for the first decade of the new
century.

"Healthy People is a simple yet powerful idea," Secretary Shalala said.  "It
is a roadmap to better health that provides diverse groups with the
knowledge they need to work together to improve the health of all
Americans."

"The Healthy People agenda forecasts what can be achieved through lifestyle
improvements and good preventive care," said Dr. Satcher.  "With the launch
of Healthy People 2010, we will celebrate the progress of the nation with a
new health agenda for a new era."

Since its inception in 1979, Healthy People has moved the nation from
assessing health status to projecting and forecasting what is possible to
achieve through preventive interventions and proven clinical preventive
services.  The initiative provides a time capsule snapshot of the progress
of  the health of the nation in the last part of the century.  Healthy
People has enjoyed the bipartisan support of four administrations.

Other participants in the launch of Healthy People 2010 will be a former
President Jimmy Carter (via videotaped message), former HHS Secretary Louis
Sullivan, former Surgeon General Julius Richmond, many former HHS assistant
secretaries, and other high-ranking government officials.   Leaders from
public health, health care, business, and other sectors will also
participate. It will bring together 2,010 people from a wide range of
professional fields including public health, health education, government,
academia, the technology sector, and many more.   The conference will also
host the release of new "Leading Health Indicators" that define 10 key
health measures of broad importance.

Healthy People 2010, the third set of decade-long goals, addresses the
scenarios and trends of the upcoming decade, including a larger, more
diverse, aging population and a host of new health risks such as emerging
infectious diseases.  The initiative also calls for a refocusing of health
policies and expenditures on the long-term investment for a lifetime of good
health.

The January 24-28 conference is a joint meeting of the Healthy People
Consortium and the Partnerships for Networked Consumer Health Information
and is expected to draw a wide audience of public and private sector
participants.  It will focus on four themes: Partnering for Health
Improvements; Eliminating Health Disparities; Increasing Quality and Years
of Healthy Life; and Harnessing Technology for Health.

The major events and sessions at the conference include:

*Tuesday, January 25, 9:30-10:45 a.m.: Launch of Healthy People 2010
initiative and release of the Leading Health Indicators with Secretary
Shalala, Surgeon General Satcher, and the U.S. Women's World Cup Soccer
Team;

*Tues., January 25, 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Congressional Initiatives to
Improve Health;
*Wed., January 26, 8:00-8:20 a.m.: Release by The Coalition of Healthy
Cities and Communities of a "Call to Action Guide;"

*Wed., January 26, 10:30 a.m.-Noon: Showcase of  "The Guide to Community
Preventive Services;"

*Wed., January 26, 3:30-5:00 p.m.: Release by Partnership for Prevention's
Healthy People Business Advisory Council of Leading Health Objectives for
Business;

*Wed., January 26, 5:00-6:00 p.m.: Release by Agency for Health Care
Research & Quality of
"Putting Prevention into Practice: Staying Healthy At 50+;"

*Thurs., January 27, Noon-1:00 p.m.: Release by American Legacy Foundation
and CDC Office on Smoking and Health of a nationwide, youth tobacco survey;

*Thurs., January 27, 1:30-3:00 p.m.: Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999, and
others will give
personal accounts of how they over came health adversities;

*Thurs., January 27, 6:00-8:00 p.m.: Technology Games Awards;

 *Fri., January 28, 1:30-3:00 p.m.:  Healthy People in a Healthy World
session focusing on  international health disparities with a video message
from former President Carter and others;
*Fri., January 28, 3:00-3:15 p.m.: A Healthy Charge to the Nation session
with Surgeon General Satcher.

The conference includes 6 plenary sessions and 12 concurrent sessions on
broad issues of public health importance, as well as one session for each of
the 28 Healthy People 2010 focus areas, and over 50 breakout sessions.
Altogether, over 600 oral and poster presentations will be presented by
scientists from around the world. Select session of Partnerships for Health
in the New Millenium will be broadcast by satellite and in live streaming
video.  Go online to http://www.health.gov/partnerships for more
information, including details about conference sessions being broadcast on
the Internet.  Live streaming video of select conference session will be
available at http://videocast.nih.gov.
Healthy People originated with a 1979 report that established five
life-stage targets to be achieved over a 10-year period.  Currently, most
states and many localities use the Healthy People framework to guide local
health policies and programs. Healthy People 2010 is the result of a broad
consultation process, including the public and the Healthy People
Consortium, a public-private alliance of over 350 national organizations and
270 state agencies. To order the "Healthy People 2010" book call (202)
512-1800 and refer to stock #017-001-00543-6, or call 1 (800) 367-4725.
Partnerships for Networked Consumer Health Information examines the
ever-expanding role of technology in promoting health and preventing
disease.  Sponsored by HHS, it brings together the public and private sector
to promote development of interactive telecommunication and computer
technologies that help consumers take greater responsibility for their
health.  At the conference, the unique Partnerships Technology Games will
showcase cutting-edge applications and Web sites, offering $5000 in prizes
for innovation and excellence.
Conference sponsors include the HHS Office of Public Health and Science and
many other HHS agencies.  Non-federal sponsors include the Academy for
Educational Development, the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the
University of Pennsylvania and the Annenberg School for Communication for
the Technology Games and Showcase.

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