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THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AT:
www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly

IN THIS ISSUE:
1) Secretary Thompson outlines Administration's welfare proposal
2) US elected to WHO Executive Board
3) HHS DMATs on call for hurricane season
4) Viaje del Secretario Thompson a Europa Destaca la Importancia de la Colaboración para Luchar Contra las Enfermedades y Mejorar la Salud
5) Secretary visits Chicago to help raise awareness of women's health
6) Secretary's trip to Europe emphasizes partnerships to fight disease, improve health

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Secretary Thompson outlines Administration's welfare proposal

In an address to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, on May 23, Sec. Thompson outlined the Bush Administration's proposals for the continued transformation of welfare.

"True welfare reform is about empowerment," said Thompson. "It is about helping everyone gain a firm foothold on the solid ground of personal opportunity, professional advancement, and a healthy family."

Thompson said "more must be done to reach those who have yet to benefit from the progress we have made over the past six years." He urged policymakers to "move beyond the new status quo of the existing TANF law and improve the program so that it completes the transition of individuals from the dependence of a welfare check to the independence of a paycheck."

The Secretary detailed the increased flexibility states will have in the context of the new work requirements.

"Our plan raises the bar by requiring a 40-hour workweek," Thompson noted. "But the plan provides increased flexibility to help individuals meet this societal standard. An individual can spend 16 hours of those 40 hours in school, job training, or alcohol and drug treatment. Put simply, that's 3 days of work and 2 days of school.

"Every life is important. Every person has innate, God-given value. Every citizen deserves opportunity. And every child deserves a future," said the Secretary, whose remarks were covered by C-SPAN and other news media.

US elected to WHO Executive Board

During the week of the 55th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced that the United States was elected to the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO). The appointment, which follows a one-year procedural absence from the board, lasts three years and will allow the U.S. the opportunity to provide input on major policy development and implementation for the Assembly, the main decision-making body of WHO.

"The mission of the World Health Organization is absolutely vital for promoting and improving the health status of communities worldwide -- particularly within vulnerable populations," said Secretary Thompson. "We are pleased to be working with our international partners on these efforts and look forward to advancing the health of the global community."

The United States will be one of six representatives from the region of the Americas. Other regions represented are Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific.

HHS DMATs on call for hurricane season

In preparation for what the National Weather Service is predicting as an active hurricane season, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson declared that HHS's disaster medical teams are on watch and ready to help. HHS, through its U.S. Public Health Service, manages the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), a network that includes medical and support personnel trained to provide emergency support in response to any type of disaster, including hurricanes.

"With more than 50 million people living along our nation's hurricane-prone coastlines and millions more tourists visiting these areas, we must be prepared to respond quickly if and when a major storm strikes," Secretary Thompson said. "We always have six fully operational Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) on call for immediate response and many more teams that can be activated if needed."

Last year HHS teams responded when Tropical Storm Allison inflicted significant damage on the Houston, Texas, medical system. After striking the Texas coast on June 5, 2001, Allison caused 24 deaths and $5 billion in damage.

When Allison's floodwaters shut down many of Houston's hospitals, DMATs from Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, totalling more than 360 personnel were sent to help. During 15 days of emergency operations, HHS teams set up three temporary clinics and provided medical care to more than 1,600 patients.

Over the past ten years, HHS teams have provided medical assistance in the aftermath of 20 hurricanes and three tropical storms.

Viaje del Secretario Thompson a Europa Destaca la Importancia de la Colaboración para Luchar Contra las Enfermedades y Mejorar la Salud

La semana pasada en Alemania y Suiza, el Secretario Thompson discutió el compromiso de los Estados Unidos de América con la salud mundial y los esfuerzos ya encaminados a la preparación contra el bioterrorismo.

El Secretario hizo énfasis en que los Estados Unidos se mantiene comprometido a fortalecer sus alianzas ya existentes con los países industrializados y aquellos en vías de desarrollo, y a la misma vez hizo énfasis en mejorar la salud de los niños, quienes son frecuentemente víctimas vulnerables de las enfermedades.

En sus declaraciones a la Organización Mundial de la Salud, el Secretario Thompson indicó que, "Los Estados Unidos está comprometido a mantenerse activo en las diferentes esferas de la salud internacional, cuyas implicaciones presentes y futuras afectan a todos de algún modo. Debemos combinar nuestros recursos, experiencia y conocimientos en un propósito común si deseamos lograr un mundo más saludable para todos."

El Secretario también resaltó la importancia de la participación de los Estadas Unidos en el Fondo Mundial de Lucha contra el SIDA, Tuberculosis y Malaria, así como los esfuerzos actuales para mejorar, modernizar y expandir el sistema de servicios de salud de los Estados Unidos; los esfuerzos multinacionales destinados a luchar contra el polio y desarrollar vacunas efectivas, así como el apoyo de los Estados Unidos para que Taiwan pueda lograr posición de observador en la Organización Mundial de la Salud.

Secretary visits Chicago to help raise awareness of women's health

National Women's Health Week raises awareness about manageable steps women can take to improve their health, through organized events and activities across the country. Initiated by HHS's Office of Women's Health three years ago, the week's focus is on the importance of incorporating simple preventative and positive health behaviors into everyday life.

As part of the Department's 2002 activities, HHS partnered with the Chicago Cubs during a home game against the Milwaukee Brewers to help draw attention to women's health and a new FDA campaign Take Time to Care… About Diabetes.

Secretary Tommy G. Thompson kicked-off the afternoon by throwing out the first pitch of the game as the announcer promoted National Women's Health Week. Following his debut on Wrigley Field, the Secretary visited the WGN radio booth where he met with former National League All-star Ron Santo and WGN game announcer Pat Hughes to talk about his visit to the windy city as it related to women's health. The Secretary's exchange with Ron Santo about the current diabetes epidemic was particularly poignant-Ron has been diabetic since the age of eighteen and played ball for 15 years with the disease.

HHS representatives from the Chicago office distributed women's health information to fans in an effort to encourage women, who spend much of their daily lives caring for others, to recognize the importance of caring for themselves.

Women's Health Week is held each year beginning with Mother's Day. For more information on women's health, check out www.4woman.gov.

Secretary's trip to Europe emphasizes partnerships to fight disease, improve health

In speeches last week in Germany and Switzerland, Secretary Thompson discussed America's commitment to global health and our efforts to prepare for bioterrorism.

The Secretary stressed that the United States is eager to strengthen the partnerships we have currently with both industrialized and developing countries and to do what we can to encourage better health for children, the vulnerable and victims of disease.

In his remarks to the World Health Organization, he noted that, "The United States is committed to remaining active in the many spheres of international health whose implications for the present and the future affect everyone in some way … Our resources, expertise and knowledge must be drawn together in common purpose if we are to more fully achieve the goal of a healthier world for all."

The Secretary also underscored the importance of U.S. participation in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; current efforts to improve, modernize and expand America's health care system; joint international efforts to fight polio and develop effective vaccines; and American support for Taiwan to gain observership status in the WHO.

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Last updated 13 May 2003
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