Healthy Communities

Good health provides a foundation for happy, productive people and prosperous communities. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Health launched Healthy People 2010, a set of objectives for health promotion and disease prevention. The primary goals are to increase the quality of life, how long Americans live, and to eliminate health disparities. Prevention is critical to reaching the 2010 targets and building healthy communities. In South Florida, declining infant mortality rates, reduced tobacco use and decreasing cancer mortality rates show improvement while the rising prevalence of obesity, diabetes, AIDS, and mental illness, are challenges that show clear racial disparities and inadequate healthcare access to all South Floridians.