Former CDC director speaks about health inequity in Silicon Valley
Former CDC director speaks about health inequity in Silicon Valley
Ashley Wright
Bay City News
Posted: 02/04/2009 11:22:07 PM PST
The former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spoke at a health summit in Santa Clara on Wednesday morning about the health issues local communities face and how health inequities should be addressed.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, who resigned her post with the CDC effective Jan. 20 as part of the transition to the administration of President Barack Obama, was the keynote speaker at the Health Equality Summit.
The event was hosted by the Health Trust, a Silicon Valley nonprofit focused on advancing wellness through efforts including grant giving, policy and advocacy, and partnerships with other agencies.
Gerberding said she was honored to come to Silicon Valley because she admires efforts to make one of the wealthiest areas in the United States one of the healthiest areas in the country.
However, she said, much work remains to be done.
"The fact is, the health statistics in this region say just the opposite," Gerberding said.
While a number of health disparities exist in the region, Gerberding said one of the most shocking is the disparity in dental care, specifically in the area of San Jose and other communities without fluoridated water.
"To be in a city this size in the United States that does not have fluoride supplementation in the water is absolutely amazing and a very profound and serious health threat to not only the children but the adults who live in these areas," she said.Gerberding said the result of the problem is an "unbelievably" high rate of cavities and dental problems in communities that are already vulnerable to health problems.
"I've seen mouths of children in Vietnam in villages that are in better shape than some of the children coming in to the dental service clinics here," Gerberding said.
Policy changes and social mobilization are the way to fix residents' health problems, she said.
Community awareness and commitment will play a key part in looking at health in a holistic sense and concentrating on things like where preventive habits are learned before disease and treatment come into play, Gerberding said.
Not much hope that President Barack Obama will rethink about the so called value of fluoridation.
Ashley Wright
Bay City News
Posted: 02/04/2009 11:22:07 PM PST
The former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spoke at a health summit in Santa Clara on Wednesday morning about the health issues local communities face and how health inequities should be addressed.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, who resigned her post with the CDC effective Jan. 20 as part of the transition to the administration of President Barack Obama, was the keynote speaker at the Health Equality Summit.
The event was hosted by the Health Trust, a Silicon Valley nonprofit focused on advancing wellness through efforts including grant giving, policy and advocacy, and partnerships with other agencies.
Gerberding said she was honored to come to Silicon Valley because she admires efforts to make one of the wealthiest areas in the United States one of the healthiest areas in the country.
However, she said, much work remains to be done.
"The fact is, the health statistics in this region say just the opposite," Gerberding said.
While a number of health disparities exist in the region, Gerberding said one of the most shocking is the disparity in dental care, specifically in the area of San Jose and other communities without fluoridated water.
"To be in a city this size in the United States that does not have fluoride supplementation in the water is absolutely amazing and a very profound and serious health threat to not only the children but the adults who live in these areas," she said.Gerberding said the result of the problem is an "unbelievably" high rate of cavities and dental problems in communities that are already vulnerable to health problems.
"I've seen mouths of children in Vietnam in villages that are in better shape than some of the children coming in to the dental service clinics here," Gerberding said.
Policy changes and social mobilization are the way to fix residents' health problems, she said.
Community awareness and commitment will play a key part in looking at health in a holistic sense and concentrating on things like where preventive habits are learned before disease and treatment come into play, Gerberding said.
Not much hope that President Barack Obama will rethink about the so called value of fluoridation.
posted by Bill at
10:14 AM
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