Fifteen U.S. Communities Receive Funding and Mentors to Implement Local Strategies to Reduce Chronic Disease
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Washington, DC (January 9, 2012)-- The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), and the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) are announcing 15 communities in 17 states that will develop and implement population-based strategies that prevent chronic disease and related risk factors through a locally collaborative approach. These strategies include increasing access to healthy nutrition and physical activity and decreasing exposure to tobacco in schools, work sites, and other community settings. This approach, called Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental changE (ACHIEVE), is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Healthy Communities Program.
In addition to technical support and assistance from national organizations, each of the 15 new communities will be paired with a mentor community that has successfully participated in ACHIEVE. These mentor communities will provide support and technical assistance to the newly-funded communities, drawing on their own successes in making local improvements to promote healthy living. Since 2008, the five national partners involved in ACHIEVE—NACCHO, NACDD, NRPA, Y-USA, and the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)—have collaborated to provide training, technical assistance, and support to the now 149 ACHIEVE communities across the nation. This is the first time a mentoring component has been added, which the national partners believe will contribute to the sustainability of this work. "The CDC is pleased to work alongside and support the efforts of the ACHIEVE national partners to make positive community changes to establish healthy environments, said Dr. Becky Bunnell, Director of the Division of Community Health (proposed). "The expansion of the program to include local community mentors is an innovative step toward creating a sustainable model for promoting healthier lifestyles that can improve the health of all people. Through community action and collaborative partnerships, we can create momentum that assists people in making healthy choices where they live, learn, work, and play." A complete list of funded communities appears below, as well as on CDC's Healthy Communities Program's Web site at www.cdc.gov/healthycommunitiesprogram. National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)
National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)
YMCA of the USA (Y-USA)
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