National Health Education Week 2020

What is Health Education?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Health Education as any combination of learning experiences designed to help individuals and communities improve their health, by increasing their knowledge or influencing their attitudes.
Health Education is an essential component of Public Health and Health Promotion that combines the conceptualization and educational methodology with other political, social and organizational mobilization actions to achieve changes in population lifestyles, in public policies with implications and social conditions in general. To do this, it incorporates modern approaches from the global movement of Health Promotion and Social Determinants of Health. Health Education is responsible for the planning, development and evaluation of programs, projects and novel initiatives of Health Education and Health Promotion at the national, regional, and international levels. 

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Why is health education important?

• Improves the health of people, families, and communities.
• Focuses on prevention of illness and disease.
• Reduces costly premature death and disability.
• Health education reduces the financial and human costs of medical treatment.

 

​​Since 1995, the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) has celebrated National Health Education Week (NHEW), (initially in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services), during the third week of October.

NHEW is focused on increasing national awareness on major public health issues and promoting a better understanding of the role of health education.

​This year NHEW is celebrated from October 19th to October 23rd. SOPHE has many interesting resources and FREE webinars to share:

 Tuesday, October 20 | Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?

• Activity: Webinar – Emergency Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stories from the Field | 2pm EDT

Wednesday, October 21 | Mental Health & Mindfulness

• Activity: Webinar – Supporting Employee Mental Health and Well-being during COVID-19 |  2pm EDT

Thursday, October 22 | Health Literacy: Words Matter

• Activity: Webinar – Health Literacy: Words Matter | 2pm EDT

Friday, October 23 | Career Settings for a Health Education/Promotion Specialist

• Activity: Webinar – A Snapshot of Health Education and Promotion Career Settings | 2pm EDT

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​NCFH offers a variety of Educational Resources in English and Spanish, focused on health topics related to general and agricultural worker population that can help address any need for information.

For more health education resources you can access:

• Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) website: https://www.sophe.org/
• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) website: https://www.paho.org/en/topics  
• Center for Control and Disease Prevention (CDC) website: https://www.cdc.gov/
• World health Organization (WHO) website: https://www.who.int/health-topics/#C