Chronic diseases—such as asthma, cancer, diabetes and heart disease—cost Georgia approximately 40 billion dollars each year, keep kids out of school, cost Georgia employers, and results in more than 200,000 thousands of years of life lost.
Chronic disease in Georgia is preventable and controllable. Through better nutrition, increased physical activity, eliminating tobacco use, and providing access to high quality, guidelines-based health, Georgia can improve its overall health outcomes and support better educational outcomes, economic development, and families and communities.
The Chronic Disease Prevention Section of the Georgia Department of Public Health aims to reduce the burden of chronic diseases in Georgia by—
- Informing Georgia communities about all of the opportunities to create healthy people in healthy places;
- Protecting Georgians by reducing exposure to risk factors for chronic disease and warning them about those risk factors; and
- Preventing and controlling chronic diseases across the population and lifespan through tools like self-management education.
Staff and Programs
Our staff have a variety of backgrounds and are experts in the major chronic diseases; public health program development; health systems; health policy development and implementation; statistics; strategic planning; community asset mapping; coalition building; and evaluation.
With about 40 staff, the section implements about 30 programs that aim to reduce the major risk factors for chronic disease. Because many chronic diseases have related causes and or impact the same populations, we seek to maximize our work through teams focused on— 1) promoting healthy youth development; 2) providing access to early screening, detection and treatment services and services to control chronic diseases; and 3) supporting communities in creating policy, systems and environmental changes.
Partners
Partnerships are essential to creating a healthier Georgia. We work closely with each of Georgia’s 18 public health districts, health care systems and providers, and statewide associations and organizations. Our partners range from the Medicaid program to employers to parks and recreation associations. To partner with us, contact Chronic.Disease@dph.ga.gov.
Strategic Planning
Georgia Chronic Disease Strategic Direction
Page last updated 01/09/17