Live Longer
Thanks to Some Important Health Achievements and an Increased Number of Health Departments
ATLANTA, GA-People are living about 30 years longer these days than they did 100 years ago and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes 25 of these years to advances in public health. The average life expectancy in 1900 in the US was 47 years and in 1996 it was up to 78 years. Chances were high in the early part of the century of dying from pneumonia and tuberculosis, but now chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer have replaced infectious diseases as the leading cause of death. The CDC credits the increased number of health departments, from about 150 in 1900 to 3,000 today, with stimulating healthcare in the US. Likewise, the CDC lists the following 10 advancements of the last century as having a profound impact on our lives:
1. Vaccinations
2. Safer workplaces
3. Safer and healthier foods
4. Motor-vehicle safety
5. Control of infectious diseases
6. Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke
7. Family planning
8. Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard
9. Healthier mothers and babies
10. Fluoridation of drinking water
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
