Stay Informed

Day 2 - National Public Health Week

Today, the Illinois Public Health Association celebrates the contributions made by local health departments throughout Illinois.

Local health departments are the boots on the ground—interfacing with the public and tackling public health challenges, such as COVID and the opioid crisis, head on.  Your local health department cannot continue its vigilance without adequate funding for qualified personnel, necessary tools, and modern facilities. Despite this, public health funding is being reduced at all levels of government. This reduction in funding is creating a lack of resources that is endangering communities throughout our state.

Supporting local health departments (LHDs) has never been more important than it is today.  LHDs fulfill the core functions of public health: assessment, policy development, and assurance. 

Promoting Healthy Communities and Healthy Behavior

LHDs monitor health status, identify health issues, and implement strategies to protect communities from health problems and hazards. Promoting healthy communities and healthy behaviors activities improve health in a population, such as investing in healthy families; engaging communities to change policy, systems or environments to promote positive health or prevent adverse health; providing information and education about healthy communities or population health status; and addressing issues of health equity, health disparities, and the social determinants of health.

Disease Prevention

LHDs play a vital role in preventing and controlling infectious diseases, including through vaccination programs and public health education. LHDs are instrumental in preventing the spread of infectious disease caused by infectious agents, by detecting acute infectious diseases, assuring the reporting of infectious diseases, preventing the transmission of disease, and implementing control measures during infectious disease outbreaks.  

Healthcare Access

LHDs ensure access to essential healthcare services, especially for vulnerable populations, by engaging in activities such as assessing the availability of health-related services and health care providers in local communities; identifying gaps and barriers; convening community partners to improve community health systems; and providing services identified as priorities by the local assessment and planning process. 

Disaster Preparedness

LHDs work with emergency management and other local officials to plan for and respond to natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and other public health emergencies. LHDs engage in activities that prepare public health departments to respond to events and incidents and assist communities in recovery, such as providing leadership for public health preparedness activities within a community; developing, exercising and periodically reviewing response plans for public health threats; and developing and maintaining a system of public health workforce readiness, deployment, and response.

Public Health Education

LHDs educate residents about health issues, promote healthy behaviors, and address health disparities. 

Protect Against Environmental Health Hazards

LHDs protect communities against environmental health hazards by addressing aspects of the environment that pose risks to human health, such as monitoring air and water quality, developing policies and programs to reduce exposure to environmental health risks and promote healthy environments, and identifying and mitigating environmental risks such as foodborne and waterborne diseases, radiation, occupational health hazards, and public health nuisances.

Serving Vulnerable Populations

LHDs provide services to those with chronic diseases, healthy adults who exercise or work outdoors, and people with limited economic resources without access to medical care. 

The Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) has long been an outspoken advocate for local health departments across Illinois. IPHA has championed efforts to ensure that your local public health officials have the tools and resources they need to protect your community.

Learn more about the valuable services provided by local health departments here.