The Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control seeks to reduce the burden of chronic diseases - heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases - affecting the city's residents. Chronic diseases are responsible for the vast majority of deaths and hospitalizations among New Yorkers and also contribute significantly to a diminished quality of life. The Bureau's approach is three-pronged:
- to prevent the development
of chronic diseases by addressing major risk factors, such as physical
inactivity, poor diet, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol,
- to prevent or lessen chronic illness through improved screening,
education and early detection, and
- to improve quality of life for those
with chronic illnesses by strengthening their self-management skills and
by working with health care providers to improve care.
The Bureau's activities include:
- Developing and implementing public health interventions, such as programs aimed at increasing physical activity among children attending schools and day care centers and workshops for elderly persons who need assistance in better managing their chronic illnesses.
- Identifying and advocating for policies and regulatory initiatives that can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, for example, by increasing access to nutritious food, improving the conditions in the community for physical activity, or reducing the presence of pests in homes (a trigger for asthma).
- Working with community-based and voluntary organizations, as well
as commerce, to promote healthy lifestyle choices and improved management of chronic diseases.
- Working with the city's health care providers to promote changes in the health care system necessary to better support patients with chronic illnesses.
- Working with NYC employers to develop wellness programs where most adults spend their days - at work.
For more information, call 311.
