Each year during the first full week of April, the American Public Health Association specifically recognizes the contributions of Public Health workers and their efforts to promote and protect the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.
This year, the 56th Medical Group Public Health Team will focus on a different topic for each day of National Public Health Week and will address ways that each individual in the community can make a difference. For NPHW, April 1-7, the daily topics are healthy communities, violence prevention, rural health, technology and public health, climate change and global health.
“National Public Health Week is important because it’s all about preventive medicine,” said Airman 1st Class Isabella Mailo, 56th MDG Public Health technician. “We work to promote healthy and safe lifestyles to reduce the chances of people getting sick or injured.”
The Public Health Flight is comprised of different units such as Occupational Health, Food Safety and Sanitation, Communicable Disease and Health Promotions. While a doctor treats individuals who are sick, public health technicians work to prevent people from getting sick or injured in the first place by promoting wellness through healthy behaviors.
”From conducting scientific research to educating about health, people in the field of public health work to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy,” said Mailo. “That can mean vaccinating children and adults to prevent the spread of disease or educating people about the risks of alcohol and tobacco.”
Luke is participating in NPHW with a variety of events across base. For the younger demographic, the Youth Center and Child Development Center are promoting healthy habits with activities such the Glo Germ, a kit used to mimic germs in order to teach kids how practice good personal hygiene, and a MyPlate relay game that gets kids active as well as teaching them about healthy foods. The Base Exchange will be hosting a table where Thunderbolts can receive education on public heath and will also show case a smoothie bike that individuals can ride in order to make a healthy smoothie while getting a quick workout in.
“By having National Public Health Week we are able to broadcast on a larger scale what services Public Health provides and how it may help families in need,” said Mailo.
For any questions or further information, please contact Public Health at (623) 856-6174.
Date Taken: | 04.03.2019 |
Date Posted: | 04.03.2019 19:24 |
Story ID: | 316834 |
Location: | LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, AZ, US |
Web Views: | 58 |
Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Luke educates during National Public Health Week, by SrA Zoie Cox, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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