The federal government on June 9 announced a new campaign to urge Americans, as homeowners, occupants or homebuilders, to take steps to make every home safe and healthy.
Today, Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, issued The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Promote Healthy Homes, which addresses how housing can impact health. Many injuries and diseases can be prevented if certain measures are taken, such as checking gas appliances, furnaces, fireplaces and chimneys. Children should be protected from lead poisoning, drowning, suffocation and strangulation, and other injuries such as burns and falls are preventable, the Call To Action emphasizes.
The 78-page report says indoor environments can be greatly augmented by ensuring air quality with radon and carbon monoxide detectors, eliminating exposure to second-hand smoke, and controlling allergens such as mold that lead to respiratory problems. The use of toxic chemicals should be significantly limited, it adds. The report explains how the quality of indoor air, water, and housing and design, residential chemicals and occupant behaviors affect health. It includes a checklist for every part of the home.
Public Sector Involvement
The healthy homes drive envisions all parts of society to be involved, including health care providers, organizations and governments. These sectors can participate by educating at-risk groups about health effects of housing conditions and how to identify and remedy problems and risks. The onus is on governments to ensure sufficient access to affordable housing to make healthy homes possible, the Call To Action states. As such, research is necessary to demonstrate the relationship between housing conditions and health concerns, it suggests.
Simultaneously, at the press conference where the initiative was announced in Washington, D.C., Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ron Sims announced the release of HUD’s Healthy Homes Strategic Plan. HUD’s plan outlines why healthy homes are a national priority and how healthier housing can be achieved.
