[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4502]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK APRIL 1-7 2013

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 21, 2013

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, since 1995 the first full week of April was 
declared National Public Health Week (NPHW) to recognize the 
contributions of public health and to highlight issues that are 
important to improving it. Public health improves the conditions and 
behaviors that affect the health of each and every one of us. Public 
health ensures that we have safe, healthy communities. This is why I 
hope that all Americans will join me in observing National Public 
Health Week April 1-7, 2013.
  This year's National Public Health Week theme is ``Public Health is 
ROI: Save Lives, Save money.'' It highlights the value of prevention 
and the importance of well-supported public health systems in 
preventing disease, saving lives and curbing health care spending. Much 
like the business world, ROI indicates the return on investments. 
Investing just $10 per person each year in proven community-based 
public health efforts could save the Nation more than 16 billion within 
five years. That's a $5.60 return for every $1 invested. America spends 
more than twice what most other industrialized nations spend on health 
care and we still have poor health outcomes. A major reason for this 
startling fact is that we spend only 3 percent of our health care 
dollars on preventing diseases as opposed to treating them, when 75 
percent of our health care costs are related to preventable conditions.
  I was a proud sponsor of the health care reform law which was enacted 
on March 23, 2010. I feel passionate about uninsured Americans who 
suffer from chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. The 
Affordable Care Act, as it is commonly called, ensures that more 
Americans than ever before will have insurance coverage for mounting 
medical expenses. Also included in this bill is the creation of the 
Prevention and Public Health Fund, a new mandatory fund for prevention 
and public health. The Fund is intended to provide a stable and 
increased investment in activities that will enable communities to stay 
healthy in the first place.
  Thanks to the great work of the American Public Health Association 
(APHA) which serves as the organizer of National Public Health Week and 
the efforts of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, great 
strides have been made to raise awareness about public health and 
prevention.
  However, our work is far from done. In Congress, I will continue to 
support reliable funding of public health and stand-up for the 
Prevention and Public Health Fund which helps to provide funding for 
community-based prevention activities and programs that reduce deaths 
due to preventable causes. Our current and future generations must not 
be deprived of the opportunity to live long, healthy lives. Working 
together, I am optimistic that we can achieve this outcome.

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