Public Health

Public Health  /  The challenge

The challenge

The Problem

Today, serious gaps exist in the nation’s ability to safeguard health, putting our families, communities, states and nation at risk.

  • Almost seven years after September 11th, and almost three years after Hurricane Katrina, major problems remain in our readiness to respond to large-scale health emergencies. The country is still insufficiently prepared to protect people from disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or acts of bioterrorism, leaving Americans unnecessarily vulnerable to these threats.
  • Even though America spends more than $2 trillion annually on health care—more than any other nation in the world—we do not have the healthiest people. Ninety-five percent of health spending goes toward medical care and biomedical research and only five percent to public health and disease prevention. Yet tens of millions of Americans suffer every day from preventable illnesses and chronic diseases that rob them of health and quality of life. Public health epidemics such as obesity and tobacco use and exposure are putting millions of adults and children at risk for unprecedented levels of major diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
  • Baby boomers may be the first generation to live less healthy lives than their parents. The major disease problems of our time will not be solved within our clinical care system through more expensive  technology and more intensive treatment. What we need is less disease than we have now.
  • Poor health is putting the nation’s economic security in jeopardy. The skyrocketing costs of health care threaten to bankrupt American businesses, causing some companies to send jobs to other countries where costs are lower. Helping people to stay healthy and better manage illnesses are the best ways to drive down health care costs. Keeping the American workforce well helps American business remain competitive in the global economy.

A strong public health system and public policies focused on prevention of disease and injury are a critical part of the solution. We need to rethink how we spend our health dollars. Investing more in public health tops the list of ways we could start spending smarter.

Learn more about RWJF's strategy to address public health issues.

Learn more about our strategy and the issues we are seeking to address in this area:

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