Dr. Gary Goldbaum, our public health officer, shared some public health history with us today. I found his slide showing trends in deaths from disease the most interesting. Thanks to public health efforts, deaths caused by disease are only a small fraction of what they were at the turn of century.
We often take for granted many of the services provided by the Snohomish Health District that continue to keep that death rate low. I have talked in the past about their Tuberculosis control program, but that’s just the tip of the ice berg. The SHD oversees sewage and solid waste disposal, which if not done properly will spread disease. They also inspect food establishment so your food is safe.
They also make sure folks are vaccinated. Some think making vaccinations available for folks who can’t afford them is a form of welfare or charity, but in reality it’s in everybody interest. Sick people hurt the economy by increasing health care costs and decreasing productivity. And let’s face it, sometimes vaccinations don’t take (or we forget to update them). We don’t want anyone walking around with an infectious disease, whether we’re vaccinated or not. Keeping folks vaccinated is very much in the interest of everyone’s public health.
One very scary feature about the graph above is the peak labeled “Influenza Pandemic.” This is still a very real possibility that the SHD takes very seriously. In the event of another pandemic, the SHD is banking on the hope that new vaccines can quickly be developed and delivered. They also have emergency procedures to control the disease in the event vaccines are not ready in time.
The SHD is facing serious budget shortfalls next year. Let us not forget how much we need them, and let’s hope we can keep public health fully funded.
We often take for granted many of the services provided by the Snohomish Health District that continue to keep that death rate low. I have talked in the past about their Tuberculosis control program, but that’s just the tip of the ice berg. The SHD oversees sewage and solid waste disposal, which if not done properly will spread disease. They also inspect food establishment so your food is safe.
They also make sure folks are vaccinated. Some think making vaccinations available for folks who can’t afford them is a form of welfare or charity, but in reality it’s in everybody interest. Sick people hurt the economy by increasing health care costs and decreasing productivity. And let’s face it, sometimes vaccinations don’t take (or we forget to update them). We don’t want anyone walking around with an infectious disease, whether we’re vaccinated or not. Keeping folks vaccinated is very much in the interest of everyone’s public health.
One very scary feature about the graph above is the peak labeled “Influenza Pandemic.” This is still a very real possibility that the SHD takes very seriously. In the event of another pandemic, the SHD is banking on the hope that new vaccines can quickly be developed and delivered. They also have emergency procedures to control the disease in the event vaccines are not ready in time.
The SHD is facing serious budget shortfalls next year. Let us not forget how much we need them, and let’s hope we can keep public health fully funded.
Correction: Dr. Goldbaum pointed out that the above graph only refers to infectious diseases, not chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
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