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The increasing importance of global health

Colleagues in public health, ladies and gentlemen,

In addressing the place of global health in international affairs, I will be speaking about success, shocks, surprises, and moral vindication.

The 21st century began well for public health. When the governments of 189 countries signed the Millennium Declaration in 2000, and committed themselves to reaching its goals, they launched the most ambitious attack on human misery in history.

The contribution of health to the overarching goal of poverty reduction was firmly acknowledged, as was the need to address the root causes of ill health that arise in other sectors.

World leaders were optimistic, visionary, and determined to see their visions realized. A host of global health initiatives sprung up, with many designed to deliver life-saving interventions on a massive scale.

New financing instruments were created, and clever ways were found to secure new money for purchasing medicines and vaccines.

Presidents and prime ministers launched international programmes for diseases rarely seen within their own borders. Official development aid for health more than tripled.

Unmet needs for new drugs and vaccines drove the creation of a new breed of strategic R&D partnerships that have already licensed impressive innovations.

Not surprisingly, this desire to cooperate internationally for better health, these innovations, these dramatic increases in resources, had an impact.

The number of people in low- and middle-income countries receiving antiretroviral therapy for AIDS moved from under 200 000 in late 2002 to nearly 7 million today. The number of under-five deaths dropped to its lowest level in more than six decades.

The number of people newly ill with tuberculosis peaked and then began a slow but steady decline. For the first time in decades, the steadily deteriorating malaria situation turned around. Countries following WHO-recommended strategies are seeing drops of 50% and higher in malaria deaths.

Yet, for much of the decade, the number of maternal deaths stayed stubbornly high. The explanation is not hard to find. Reaching the goal for reducing maternal mortality depends absolutely on strong and accessible health services.

The strengthening of health systems was not, initially, a core purpose of most single-disease global health initiatives. But it is now.

As the drive to reach the goals taught us, commodities, like pills, vaccines, and bednets, and the cash to buy them will not have an impact in the absence of delivery systems that reach the poor. When the overarching objective is poverty reduction, if you miss the poor, you miss the point.

In my personal view, one of the biggest bonuses of all this progress came in the form of a frank realization, in the large single-disease initiatives, in the Global Fund, in the GAVI Alliance, that goals cannot be reached and progress cannot be sustained in the absence of well-functioning health systems.

I believe this renewed focus on health systems is one reason why 2010 estimates finally showed a significant worldwide drop in maternal mortality, with the greatest declines, of around 60%, reported in Eastern Asia and Northern Africa.

Like others, WHO welcomed last week’s news of dramatic price slashes for vaccines sold by the pharmaceutical industry to the developing world. This represents a sea change in pharmaceutical policies.

As one chief executive stated, the pharmaceutical industry can no longer view itself as detached from the well-being of society.

Not all the news is good. Of course, many countries will not reach the MDGs, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. But striking progress over the past decade tells us two things.

First, investment in health development is working. And second, despite the many crises and obstacles thrown our way, the high place of health on the development agenda has held steady. The momentum to improve health outcomes has persevered.

But so much for the success of public health when left to its own devices.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The year 2008 will likely go down in history as the tipping point that demonstrated the perils of living in a world of radically increased interdependence.

That year experienced a fuel crisis, a food crisis, and above all, a severe financial crisis.

That year also demonstrated that these crises are entirely different from those experienced in previous centuries. They are not just temporary dips and blips in the up-and-down cycle of human history.

Their origins are so deeply embedded in the international systems that govern today’s interdependent world that we must begin to accept them as recurring, if not permanent features of life in the 21st century.

These days, the consequences of an adverse event in one part of the world are highly contagious and profoundly unfair. In terms of impact, the financial crisis has behaved, roughly, like the economic equivalent of a drive-by shooting. The innocent bystanders, the countries that managed their economies well, have also been hit hard.

In a similar way, the countries that contributed least to greenhouse gas emissions are being the first and hardest hit by climate change.

Two months ago, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund cited skyrocketing food and fuel prices as the most serious immediate threat to developing countries, and warned that we could lose an entire generation of the poor.

At WHO, we have been advised by outside experts to accept financial austerity as the new reality. We have done so, and this has added urgency to the sweeping administrative, managerial, and technical reforms being introduced at WHO.

Under the conditions of this century, the health and economic costs of chronic diseases have created an impending disaster. The burden of these diseases has shifted from affluent societies to the developing world, where nearly 80% of mortality is now concentrated.

Most health systems in the developing world are designed to manage brief episodes of illness from infectious diseases. They are entirely unprepared to cope with the demands and costs of chronic, sometimes life-long care.

Prevention is by far the better option. Unfortunately, the forces that drive the rise of chronic diseases, including demographic ageing, rapid urbanization, and the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles, lie beyond the direct control of the health sector.

It is my sincere wish that the September high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases, being held at the UN, will produce broad-based plans for urgent action.

To combat the rise of these diseases, policies in other sectors, like food, agriculture, and trade, must change.

Using the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world must get tougher in resisting the increasingly aggressive tactics of Big Tobacco.

We are just halfway through this year, but 2011 has already delivered an unprecedented cascade of calamities, catastrophes, and humanitarian crises.

We are seeing waves and waves of social unrest in the Middle East and in parts of Africa. Haiti and Pakistan are still suffering from the mega-disasters of the previous year.

In March, Japan was hit with the triple tragedies of a magnitude 9 earthquake, a massive tsunami, and a related accident at a nuclear power plant. Some countries are now questioning the safety of nuclear power and rethinking their energy policies for the future.

In May, an outbreak of a rare strain of E. coli began in northern Germany. The strain had been detected in isolated human cases before but had never been associated with an outbreak.

To date, cases have been detected in 15 countries. Almost all patients had a recent travel history to northern Germany, many have required intensive care, and many have died.

This event demonstrates how rapidly a disease can spread in our highly mobile world. It shows how difficult it can be to pinpoint the source when investigations are complicated by the intricacies of world food trade.

And it tells us how much outbreaks can cost economies, with EU officials estimating weekly losses to vegetable farmers of more than US$ 610 million.

I mentioned moral vindication earlier.

Our world is dangerously out of balance. The gaps in health outcomes, within and between countries, are greater now than at any time in recent history.

The difference in life expectancy between the richest and poorest countries exceeds 40 years. Annual government expenditures on health range from as little as US$ 1 per person to nearly US$ 7 000.

A world that is greatly out of balance is neither stable nor secure.

Perhaps the biggest lesson from all these recent events concerns the impact of social inequalities on national and international security.

In their analyses of the recent waves of social unrest, top experts from around the world cite vast inequalities, within and between countries, in opportunities, especially for youth, in income levels, and in access to social services, as the root cause of unrest and protests.

Some cite the crumbling of public health services, after years of utter neglect, so that the best care goes to the elite and the poor pay unregulated, exaggerated prices for even the most routine care.

In one speech, editorial, news report, or article after another, we hear that greater social equality must become the new economic and political imperative for a safer, more secure world.

This is nothing new for public health. We have been making this same point since the Declaration of Alma-Ata. The MDGs are all about ensuring that those who suffer most or benefit least get help from those who benefit most.

This is the essence of social justice and solidarity.

Again we see how fragile our advanced, sophisticated, high-tech, intertwined, modern world has become as the climate slowly warms, some 44 million pre-schoolers are obese or overweight, and social fabrics in so many places begin to unravel.

Public health has been on the right moral and ethical track for ages.

It is good to see the world’s politicians and economists wake up and open their eyes to the moral imperatives that have always driven the best in public health, and always will.

Speech on Health and Fitness for Students and Children

Speech on health and fitness.

Hello everyone. I am here to present a speech on health and fitness. The very known two terms to us are the word ‘health’ and ‘fitness’. Many times we tell or use these words whenever we say phrases like ‘health is wealth’ and ‘fitness is the key’. What does the word health really mean? It implies the idea of ‘being well’. A healthy and fit person is the one when he/she can function well physically as well as mentally. Proper health and fitness do not depend on our own but also on our physical environment and the quality of food intake.

Source: pixabay.com

Health and fitness is the most important aspect of our life. There is nothing more important than health for any human being. When we are healthy and fit we are able to enjoy our life well. We can talk to our near and dear one, we can laugh, smile, travel, enjoy food, and sleep well.

But when our health and fitness is not up to the mark, we are unable to do anything properly and stay behind. We cannot enjoy eating, watching sports or movies. Our mood always remains negative and we are unable to talk nicely with our near and dear or even sleep properly.

Our health and fitness are more valued than our wealth. In fact, our elders were always been focused on the health and fitness part. They treasure it like wealth. To maintain good health and fitness at its best all the time, we need to take care of hygiene and sanitation around us.

We must eat a healthy and complete diet. We must eat vegetables, milk, egg, etc. Everyone should make a diet chart and ensure that we take a sufficient amount of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Apart from eating we must maintain cleanliness in our room, house and nearby surroundings.

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Roots Affecting Health and Fitness

Well, there are many factors that are responsible for the staggering health and fitness graph. But the major reason is the personal habit and living style of people. A human body requires 20 gm fat per day. The consumption of just a regular pizza adds 10 grams of fat to the human body; a whopper burger blesses you with 13 gm fat and 100 gm French fries promote 15 gm fat to your body.

All the junk foods are destroying people’s health and fitness these days. Due to the fast-paced life, people are concerned about filling their stomachs rather than considering what they are eating and its effect on their health and body.

Health and Fitness tips

As we know that health and fitness play an important role in our overall wellbeing so we should try for a good balance between mind, body, and soul. I have some suggested activities to maintain proper health and fitness. One can start playing games and sports. An active body can metabolize well and so keep us in good shape.

Yoga has got a lot of health and fitness benefits such as flexibility, burn calories, increase blood flow, boosts immunity. Proper food selection leads to eating healthy. The intake of vitamins found in vegetables and fruits, proteins found in whole grains and lean meat keeps us healthy. Eat foods that have less oil are good to control cholesterol levels.

Avoid smoking and drinking as they affect our sleep which is important for the body to remain healthy and in good shape. Exercising improves the general health of the body. One must take at least thirty minutes a day to do some exercises or walk.

As told by Dalai Lama “Happiness is the highest form of health”. Happiness will come only when we will be healthy and fit. But today we live in a world where we value things more than people, work more than family, food more than health and status more than life.

We rush after money and social status and we forget about our health. What’s the value of life if we don’t live healthy and fit. This absurd attitude has ruined our lives and it will continue to do so unless we open up our eyes and see the reality.

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Why You Should Take Care of Your Body and Health

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania.

Why It Matters
Eat a Balanced Diet

Make Sleep a Priority

Stay Active
Avoid Harmful Substances
Manage Your Stress

Taking care of your physical body is good for your mental health. The mind and body interact and influence one another in complex ways. Physical illness can make managing your mental well-being more difficult. Stress, lack of energy, poor sleep, and other problems can also take a toll on how you feel mentally.

This article discusses why you should take care of your body and how it can support your mental health. It also explores what you can do to take better care of yourself.

Why Taking Care of Your Body is Good for Mental Health

There are a number of reasons why taking care of your body is good for your mental health:

Health problems affect functioning : Health problems, even minor ones, can interfere with or even overshadow other aspects of your life. Even relatively minor health issues such as aches, pains, lethargy, and indigestion take a toll on your happiness and stress levels.
Poor health habits can add stress to your life : They also play a role in how well you are able to cope with stress. The stress that comes from poor health is significant.
Poor health interferes with daily living : Health challenges also affect other areas of your life. Health problems can make daily tasks more challenging, create financial stress, and even jeopardize your ability to earn a living.
Stress can worsen health : Stress itself can exacerbate health issues from the common cold to more serious conditions and diseases, so maintaining healthy habits can pay off in the long run. This article looks at some healthy habits that have a positive impact on your life.

One way to improve your ability to cope with stress and feel better is to make a commitment to healthier habits .

Press Play for Advice On Creating Good Habits

This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast , featuring Katy Milkman, PhD, shares how to build healthy habits to create lasting change. Click below to listen now.

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Eat a Balanced Diet for the Right Reasons

Rather than eating right solely for the promise of looking better in your jeans, you should also make a commitment to eating foods that will boost your energy levels and keep your system running smoothly. This is because what you eat can not only impact your short-term and long-term health, it can affect your stress levels.

It's much harder to cope with stress if you are hungry or malnourished. Hunger can make you more emotionally reactive to stressors, leaving you irritable or even angry in the face of minor daily annoyances. Watching what you eat can be a stress management tool as well as a health preserver.

Another reason it's a good idea to maintain a healthy diet is that your diet can have an effect on your mood.

While the effects of an unhealthy diet are cumulative and become more apparent in the long-term, you are also less likely to feel well in the short-term if you are eating a diet heavy on sugar-laden, fatty, or nutritionally empty foods.

Some of the more immediate effects poor diet include feeling:

Eating well has important long-term consequences, but it may also help you feel more energetic and optimistic in the short-term as well.

Stay Motivated

If you remind yourself that what you eat now will affect how you feel in the coming hours, it may be easier to stick to a healthy diet.

Sleep can have a serious impact on your overall health and well-being. Poor sleep can take a toll on mental health and contribute to problems including anxiety, depression, mood changes, and behavior changes.

Make a commitment to get enough sleep at night. If you haven't gotten adequate sleep, you may be less productive, less mentally sharp, and otherwise more prone to the effects of stress.

Some good habits that can help:

Try to get a full eight hours of sleep each night
Avoid caffeine after 2 pm
Avoid eating foods in the evening that might disrupt your sleep
Go to bed at the same time each night; wake up at the same time each morning
Create a restful sleep environment; make sure your bed is comfortable and keep the room at an optimal temperature for sleeping (between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit)
Adopt a calming technique such as meditation to help yourself relax each night before bed

You may be surprised by how much less stressed you feel when you're not tired. Following good strategies can help if you have trouble getting quality sleep when stressed . Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll feel better all day.

Find a Fitness Habit That Works for You

We've all heard the advice to eat right and exercise. However, it can be difficult to fit in workouts around a busy schedule, particularly when you're feeling exhausted from stress.

Make It a Habit

One effective strategy for making fitness a regular part of your life is to build an exercise habit around your other habits—either attach a workout to your morning routine, or your lunchtime habits, or make it a regular part of your evening.

If you make a morning jog part of your getting-ready-for-work routine, for example, it is much more likely to happen than if you wait until you feel like jogging and happen to have a free half-hour, especially if you lead a busy life like most of us and are tired at the end of the day.

Do Something You Enjoy

Another important way to make exercise easier is to choose an activity that you actually enjoy. Some examples include walking while listening to an audiobook or attending a class at your gym where good music drives up your energy level. Finding an activity that you enjoy means that you are more likely to stick with it.

Find a form of exercise that you'd like to do and then find a time when you can make it work with your schedule.

Watch What You Put Into Your Body

Avoid putting unhealthy substances into your body; nicotine, excess alcohol, and even excessive caffeine can take a toll on your health in the long run, but also make you feel lousy overall in your day-to-day life.

In addition to watching what you put into your body, it also helps if you can avoid allowing toxic thinking patterns from exacerbating your stress levels as well. Find healthier ways to manage stress, and you'll enjoy double health and stress management benefits .

Find Ways to Manage Your Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it can take a serious toll on your mind and body if it gets out of hand. Excessive stress is linked to a number of serious health ailments, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and ulcers.

Stress management strategies that can help include:

Practicing mindfulness : Mindfulness is an approach that involves focusing more on the here and now instead of fretting over the past or future. It can help increase your self-awareness and improve your ability to handle the daily challenges life throws your way.
Utilize stress management techniques : Incorporate a variety of stress management tactics into your life, such as deep breathing, guided imagery, and positive self-talk. Making these a habit can help you combat stress in the short-term, as well as later down the road.
Eat a balanced diet : A poor diet can exacerbate the negative effects of stress. Instead of reaching for high-sugar snacks or fast food meals, focused on following a balanced diet that incorporates fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.

Finding ways to manage your stress effectively can minimize the negative impact on your health. It can also be beneficial for your emotional health and reduce your risk of burnout, anxiety, and depression.

A Word From Verywell

These are three important ways to take care of your body that you may not naturally think of as stress relievers. If you set goals to make these ideas a reality in your life, not only will you feel the difference immediately, but you will also see results in multiple areas of your life in the coming weeks and months. Few habits come without effort, but these three can make a significant impact on your life, and are well worth the effort.

Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. The impact of stress on body function: A review . EXCLI J . 2017;16:1057–1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480

Yau YH, Potenza MN. Stress and eating behaviors . Minerva Endocrinol . 2013;38(3):255–267.

Owen L, Corfe B. The role of diet and nutrition on mental health and wellbeing . Proc Nutr Soc . 2017;76(4):425-426. doi:10.1017/S0029665117001057

Breymeyer KL, Lampe JW, McGregor BA, Neuhouser ML. Subjective mood and energy levels of healthy weight and overweight/obese healthy adults on high-and low-glycemic load experimental diets . Appetite . 2016;107:253–259. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.008

Choi DW, Chun SY, Lee SA, Han KT, Park EC. Association between sleep duration and perceived stress: salaried worker in circumstances of high workload . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(4):796. doi:10.3390/ijerph15040796

Gardner B, Lally P, Wardle J. Making health habitual: the psychology of 'habit-formation' and general practice . Br J Gen Pract . 2012;62(605):664–666. doi:10.3399/bjgp12X659466

Rood L, Roelofs J, Bögels SM, Alloy LB. Dimensions of negative thinking and the relations with symptoms of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents . Cognit Ther Res . 2010;34(4):333–342. doi:10.1007/s10608-009-9261-y

Kriakous SA, Elliott KA, Lamers C, Owen R. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the psychological functioning of healthcare professionals: a systematic review . Mindfulness (N Y) . 2021;12(1):1-28. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01500-9

Nguyen-rodriguez ST, Unger JB, Spruijt-metz D. Psychological determinants of emotional eating in adolescence. Eat Disord . 2009;17(3):211-24. doi:10.1080/10640260902848543

By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

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Speech on Health

Health is Wealth Speech for Students

Many of you have been made familiar with the phrase ‘Health Is Wealth’ in your school. Just like the phrase reads, the health of an individual plays an important role in our lives and is no less valuable than wealth. It is our sole responsibility to take proper care of our health and maintain a proper lifestyle to keep it healthy. By the term ‘Health’ , we not only define our physical health but also equally prioritize our mental health.

Thus, we have provided a long and short speech on health and fitness as a reference for the students. Speech on the importance of health is an important topic that must be introduced to all the students to help them be familiar with their mental as well as physical health. These speeches are provided for students of all categories along with a short 2 minute speech on health for the students of Class 1 and Class 2.

Long Speech on Health and Fitness in English

Given below is a long 500 words speech on health and fitness for the students of Class 7 to Class 12. This speech on the importance of health and fitness can be referred to by the students to prepare for their examination.

Greetings everyone! Today I have been provided with an opportunity to deliver a speech on fitness and how our health plays a major role in maintaining our mental as well as physical fitness. Since we are in a generation where everything around us is so technologically advanced and fast, we often get too dependent on machines and technology. Due to our fast-paced and busy schedule, we give less importance to physical fitness and mental health. As a result, all we have become is physically inactive and lazy. But with this are we all heading towards a healthy lifestyle? Sadly, the answer is no. Gone are the days where we used to walk to the nearest stores and take the stairs of our buildings. Also, we are more addicted to eating junk foods and ordering food from outside. Therefore, this has given rise to several diseases starting from cardiovascular diseases, obesity, depression and anxiety.

Although there have been several medical technologies and treatments that can get you out of it, all it takes to stop this thing is self-control and a healthy lifestyle. As the saying goes, ‘Health is Wealth’, an individual can only enjoy all the valuables of life if he/she/they is both physically and mentally healthy. The health of an individual plays a major role in his/her/their life and must be taken care of. In spite of our busy schedules, it is our responsibility to prioritize our health and involve ourselves in some kind of physical activity. Physical exercises need not be always strenuous, it can also be done in the form of walking, cycling, yoga and meditation that brings calmness to both mind and body.

But, is doing physical activity enough to stay healthy? Well, no. Most of the role to keep us healthy is played by the food we intake. It will be of no use if we intake junk and unhealthy food, rich in sugar and cholesterol levels and try to be healthy. Apart from exercising, it is equally important to drink plenty of water to keep ourselves hydrated. The level of fitness totally depends on the amount of activity our body can perform and the food we consume. Thus, inculcating a habit of eating healthy foods such as fruits, green vegetables and essential vitamins is really important.

I hope this health is wealth speech was really helpful in motivating you all to stay physically and mentally healthy. So, it’s high time that we really put our health over everything and take proper care of it. Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for being here today and listening to my speech.

Short Speech on Health and Hygiene

A short speech on health and hygiene is given below as a reference for the students of Class 3 to Class 6. This health y speech in English is given in a simple language to help them understand the topic better and prepare them for any speech competition or exam.

A very warm welcome to everyone present here. Today, I am going to deliver a speech on health and hygiene. These two are strongly associated with each other because it is very important to maintain a hygienic environment to stay healthy. This can be done by maintaining cleanliness and incorporating the habit of hygiene in our lives.

Living an unhygienic lifestyle can lead to several skin diseases and infections. The health of a person determines how much a person is physically fit and active. When it comes to taking care of health, several factors come into play which includes eating healthy food, doing regular exercises, having a proper sleep cycle and maintaining oral hygiene. We have been taught since our childhood to brush our teeth twice a day and avoid eating sugary foods to prevent bad breath and cavity. But many of us often forget to inculcate these healthy habits in our daily life. Our daily schedule has become so busy that we often end up ignoring our health, which in the long term, affects our body.

We can start leading a healthy life by taking small steps towards it such as switching from junk foods to fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water and walking every day for at least an hour. This, as a result, will help us concentrate well on our work and lead a life full of fitness.

10 Lines on Health

Here is a short 1 minute speech on health that is provided for the students of Class 1 and Class 2. They can take this speech as a reference for any examination or speech preparation.

Good morning to all of you present here. I am here to deliver a speech on health.

Our health is very important for us and helps us remain fit.

We should take proper care of our health in order to live a healthy life.

Staying healthy means we should have a healthy mind along with a healthy body as both are equally important.

We should exercise daily to keep our body fit and active.

Yoga, meditation and walking are always helpful to keep our body and mind peaceful.

Drinking plenty of water after any form of activity is important to keep our body hydrated.

We should also eat healthy food such as green vegetables, lots of fruits and salads.

We should avoid eating junk food from outside and cook tasty and healthy food ourselves because eating junk causes many health problems.

Also, we must sleep at least 8 hours a day to gain proper energy to work for the next day.

Last but not the least, I want to thank all of you for coming here and listening to my speech.

Get the best essay samples for all Classes at Vedantu to learn how to frame one in the best way possible. Learn from the experts regarding different topics and frame well to score more in the exams. You can also use these examples to practice for competitions.

FAQs on Speech on Health

1. What is the benefit of the speech on health?

It is necessary for the students to prepare speeches because it helps the students in expressing themselves in a better manner. Also, speech develops the writing skill of the students, and along with the writing skill, it also helps in developing the speaking skill. For writing a speech on the topic of health, it is important for the students to study and think on the topic respectively. And hence, it also makes the students aware of the topic of health and fitness, and also it helps the students in thinking. Look through Vendantu’s website to get more insight on the same.

2. What are the tips to follow while preparing a speech on the topic of Health?

There are many steps that you must follow while preparing a speech on health, which are pointed out below:

Since you are giving the speech in English, it is important to have the correct pronunciation of all the words.

You must write a speech on health that everyone can understand.

After writing the speech, also try to remember the speech so that you can deliver a good speech during the event.

Also, you must practice giving the speech so that it becomes easy for you when the actual time comes for giving the speech.

Look through Vendantu’s website to get more insight on the same.

3. Why should I write a speech in the English language on the topic of Health?

It is important for the students to write the speech in the English language for quite many reasons. But one of the most important reasons is that English is the most spoken language in the world, and it has also achieved the status of Global language, more than that many companies of the European countries have made English one of the official languages for business. And hence learning English is of utmost importance in the modern world, and writing the speech on health in English gives the students some sort of practice and prepares them for the same. Look through Vendantu’s website to get more insight on the same.

4. Where can I find guidance for writing a speech on Health in English?

If you are looking for guidance in writing a speech in English on the subject of Health, then you have already arrived at the right place. Vedantu provides a complete speech on Health to the students in English. Vedantu provides speeches on a number of different types of topics to the students. For instance, This article has one short speech on Health in English, one Long Speech on health in English, and lastly a speech in ten lines on the topic of health in English.

5. Why should I Refer to Vedantu for a speech on the topic of Health?

There is one essential aspect in the speech that makes it different from the other form of written composition, such as Essay, and that one essential aspect is that Speech is supposed to be delivered to the audience. And hence, it is important for the students to write the speech in such a manner that it is understandable to the audience. And hence, Vedantu provides the students with such a speech, which is prepared by the top educators, and also this speech is totally free of cost for all the students.

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

258 Speech Topics on Health [Persuasive, Informative, Argumentative]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Here is our collection of persuasive and informative speech topics on health and fitness. Interesting issues and themes on topics from ionizing radiation of cell phones to food additives or infant nutrition. And yes, they are just to spice up your own thoughts!

In this article:

Informative

Argumentative.

Wearing pajamas in bed is good for your health.
Diet beverages are often not diet at all and regular not quite regular.
Going barefoot in the summer time – yep, wearing no shoes – is healthy for your feet.
Take a test to see if you are at risk for any dangerous disease or virus.
Why you should not work too hard when you’re diabetic.
Why breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Fast food restaurants should offer healthier options.
Do you think schools should teach sex education?
People who live in big cities will die sooner.
Too much salt is bad for your health.
The amount of meat consumed should be reduced.
People should care more about sleep.
Rape and sexual assault prevention and awareness should be taught in schools.
How drinking too much soda causes health problems.
How junk food is unhealthy for our bodies.
Why you should take a vacation every year.
Is toothpaste bad for health?
Do you think there is too much sugar in our diets?
Drug advertisements should be prohibited.
Euthanasia could decrease suicide rates.
We should use electroconvulsive therapy more.
How to overcome stress.
Stop putting steroids in animal food.
Why you should become an organ donor.
Why we should use homeopathic treatments.
Why vaccines are beneficial.
The dangers of sleepwalking.
Are vaporizers bad for your health?
Are e-cigs better than cigarettes?
Diet pills are bad for your health.
The importance of world Red Cross day.
Why you should be a blood donor.
People need to drink more water.
Healthy eating tips.
Everyone should be taught CPR.
The danger of secondhand smoke.
Why exercise is good for you.
Why obesity is a big problem.
The importance of making healthy food cheaper.
Is gluten really bad for us?
The dangerous effects of drugs.
Should doctors be paid less?
Why you should not wear high heels.
Why you should not go to tanning beds.
The cost of prescription drugs is too high.
Smoking is bad for your health.
Why you should take care of your teeth.
Increase funding for medical research.
Make more healthy choices.
Why you should laugh every day.
Wearing bike helmets should be encouraged.
Cherish your friends.
Alcoholics Anonymous deserves our support.
Socialized medicine saves lives.
Birth control pills should be more available.
We need more resources to prevent infectious diseases.
Eat more dark chocolate.
Positive thinking will benefit your health.
Stomach stapling should be reserved for extreme situations.
Chewing tobacco is dangerous.
Seat belt laws help save lives.
Food additives are dangerous.
Breastfeeding should be encouraged.
Binge drinking awareness should be increased.
Teen pregnancy prevention should be increased.
Teen suicide awareness should be increased.
Fire safety awareness should be increased.
Organ donation should be encouraged.
Eat less meat and you will Iive longer.
Your body may actually speak louder than your words.
Indoor air pollution is responsible for many diseases.
A traditional health insurance plan where you choose the doctors is the best.
Traditional medicine and healing practices have been used for thousands of years with great contributions.
United Nations organization is responsible to reduce newborn mortality and maternal mortality in the upcoming ten years.
Everyone should have access to safe blood products originated from a quality assurance system.
Cook your poultry or risk a campylobacter bacterial infection …
Cell phones are safe for health.
Proper condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections spread primarily through person to person contacts.
We must prevent that the financial crisis evaluates into a physical and mental wellness crisis.
Most food additives are safe.
Exposure to ionizing radiation can pose a substantial physical shape risk for vulnerable people.
Adequate infant nutrition is essential for wellbeing the rest of a person’s life.
Mitigating possible pandemic influenza effects should be a public priority.
80 percent of men suffer from prostate cancer but are completely ignorant about it.
Abortion will endanger the health of a pregnant woman.
Alcoholics Anonymous programs for alcoholics work.
Balanced nutrition can prevent a heart attack.
Condoms give women the power to protect themselves.
Diabetes risk factors and complications must be highlighted better.
Eating foods that contain bacterium Clostridium botulinum will cause foodborne, infant and wound botulism.
Everyone must have easy access to healthcare services.
Fat fast food loaded with sugar, salt and calories contributes to child obesity.
Food should not be used for fuel.
Hair loss in humans can be reversible through good nutrition.
High blood pressure does put you at greater risk of having a stroke.
Irradiated meat is not safe to eat.
Not enough is done to prevent obesity in children.
Patients with anorexia nervosa should be required to get palliative care.
People with autism are not mad!
Poor air quality is a real threat to our health.
Soft drugs are not soft at all.
Support the United Nations Children’s Fund initiatives like the nutrition goals!
Teenagers are using too many risky methods to lose weight.
The media coverage of the swine flu epidemic is over dramatized.
The Munchausen’s syndrome needs to be dealt with better.
There should be one uniform national healthcare system for all.
Travel health needs to be given more importance.
We are not drinking enough water.
We only need one food safety agency.
You will be fitter if you just cycled to work.

Here are some ideas for informative speech topics on physical and mental wellness – from health supplements to fitness tests and from spinning to back pain exercises.

You can use this list of speech topics in two ways:

Take the public speaking topics as they are, and research all ins and outs.
Associate and invent your mapping scheme.
The role of the Center for Disease Control.
The health problems of children born drug addicted.
Eat healthy to live healthily.
How does a headache happen?
The effect of radiation.
What are the effects of self-harm?
Obesity facts and figures.
The benefits of magnesium.
Anxiety and its effects.
The importance of sleep.
How to avoid pesticides in vegetables.
How to prevent elder abuse.
How to avoid toxic chemicals in food.
Autism and its effects.
The different types of birth control.
The benefits of stem cell research.
The benefits of mindfulness.
How to cure and prevent hangovers.
Strategies for healthy eating.
The benefits of being a vegetarian.
What is spinocerebellar degeneration?
How to reduce asthma attacks.
The health benefits of ginger.
The Alice in Wonderland syndrome.
Why we should wash our hands.
The health benefits of friendship.
The importance of eye donation.
Why Americans are so obese.
The importance of childhood cancer awareness.
The reason humans itch.
The benefits of tea.
The best natural medicines.
How drinking too much can affect your health.
How to stop the obesity epidemic.
How to manage mental illness.
How to prevent teen pregnancy.
How to stop memory loss.
The best health care plans.
Xenophobia as a global situation.
The best and worst abdominal exercises in a gym.
Advantages and disadvantages of aqua aerobics for your muscles.
How to determine your body fat percentage in three steps, and when are you in
The effects of dietary health supplements on the long run are not certain.
Increasing weight leads to increasing condition and risks.
Why performance-enhancing substances such as steroids are banned in sports.
Natural bodybuilding supplements and their benefits for normal athletes.
Different types of Calisthenics exercises on music beats.
Why do people apply to life extension nutrition – there is no life elixir or cocktail?
Disadvantages of raw food diets – the flip-side topics to talk about are the
Different methods of strength training programs for revalidating patients. Ideas for informative speech topics on fitness:
Choosing a gym in your town, what to think of, get them a generic checklist.
Workout myths and lies.
The history of the Pilates system that was very popular in the nineties.
Time-saving fitness training tips for busy persons.
Ways to prepare for the types of physical tests, e.g. the Bruce, Beep.
Designating a personal trainer helps you to keep on coming to the athletic club.
Cardiovascular exercises that really work.
Top stretching and warm up tips.
Big three men’s salubriousness issues.
How to get rid of blubbering cellulite adipose tissue on your waist.
Comfortable workout clothing and activewear for women.
What is spinning?
Tips to stay motivated to go to the gym two or three times a week.
Benefits of yoga workout routines.
Back pain exercises to stretch and strengthen your back and supporting muscles.
Different low-carb diets.
Top five sunburn blocking tips, and do share your own wisdom, and empiricism
Travel tips for a healthy vacation.
How our immune system works to keep you physically strong and capable.
Yoga diet and yogic meditation techniques.
Strange Allergies and their symptoms and effects.
Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, causes, treatment and life expectancy.
Asthma solutions and natural remedies.
Dental care how to prevent tooth decay.
Stress management – reduce, prevent and cope with stress.
Yoga tips for beginners and starters – ideal to demonstrate some postures.
Why taking a vacation is good for your health.
The effects of eating disorders.
What is Down syndrome?
Animal to human transplants could save lives.
The body’s coping mechanisms when in a state of shock.
Managing and controlling type 2 diabetes.
How our culture affects organ donation.
Simple AIDS prevention tips.
How celiac disease affects our world.
The benefits of walking without shoes.
How smoking is harmful to your health.
The benefits of being an organ donor.
The dangers of texting while driving.
The importance of vitamins and minerals.
The nutritional value of pickles.
The importance of wearing your seatbelt.
The effects of caffeine on the body.
The history of Psychology.
Exercise combats health problems.
High-risk pregnancy complications.
What is narcissistic personality disorder?
The effects of fast food on the body.
How Monsanto affects our food.
How the American diet has changed.
The health benefits of dark chocolate.
Plastic surgery is bad for your skin.
The importance of anxiety and depression awareness.
The benefits of regular exercise.
How the circulatory system works.
How to have a healthy pregnancy.
How to get a really good sleep.
Why the brain is so important.
The effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Calcium is important
Eating disorders in modern times.
Herbal remedies that work for common diseases.
Junk food and its relation to obesity.
Obesity is the next health risk for the western world.
Smoking bans and restrictions don’t work.
Stretching exercises at the start of your day prevent injuries.
The influenza vaccination effectiveness is poor.
The losing battle with alcohol abuse.
The necessity of mandatory HIV/AIDS testing
The need for mandatory drug testing in our society.
Why health care policies are important.
A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat.
Smoking a pipe is more harmful than smoking cigarettes.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) should be medicated.
Stretching before and after exercise is overrated.
Everyone should have free access to health care.
Knowing your ancestry is important for health.
Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
Eating meat and dairy is bad for your body.
Drug addiction is a disease not a choice.
Health risks of smoking are exaggerated.
Veganism is an unhealthy way to raise kids.
The need for teen depression prevention.
The Paleo diet can ruin your health.
Is laughter good for you?
All farmers should go organic.
The health benefits of marijuana.
Bread is bad for your health.
The dangers of herbal remedies.
The health benefits of avocados.
Running is unhealthy.
Alcoholics do not want help.
Flu shots are necessary.
Low carbohydrate diets are more effective than low fat diets.
Smokers should be treated like drug addicts.
The healthcare industry earns millions due to the cures they hide.
Vegetarianism is another word for unhealthy dieting.
Working night-shifts costs you ten years of your life.

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Effective health communication, communication, public health campaigns. health education and research. provider visits. what do these have in common.

Health communication.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of health communication. Whether it’s promoting the COVID-19 vaccination, teaching about type 2 diabetes, or recruiting for clinical trials — health communication is everywhere.

This article gives an overview of effective health communication. We’ll explore some ways to share health information. We’ll discuss the meaning and impact of effective health communication. We’ll also address some barriers to sharing health information, and ways to overcome them.

What are some ways to communicate health information?

Let’s start by exploring some ways to share health information .

Verbal communication

Verbal communication is communicating with words. ( Note: While “verbal communication” is often used to mean speech, it includes both oral and written communication. In this article, we’ll use “verbal” to mean both speech and writing.)

Oral communication is sharing information through spoken words (speech). It can occur live and in person, such as during provider visits, when providers and patients speak to each other face to face. Oral communication can also happen live, but at a distance — such as by phone or online platform. And it can be used in audio or video recordings, such as podcasts or audiobooks.

Written communication is sharing information through written words (text). It appears in print materials, such as handouts, posters, and books. It also comes in electronic form, such as email and text messages, social media posts, website copy, patient portals, and captions.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is communicating without words. It includes body cues and design .

Body cues are ways people communicate, often without even realizing it. Examples of body cues include eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and postures. Body cues may be affected by proximity, touch, and voice tone or volume. They can make oral communication more effective. They work especially well in person. But they can also work at a distance, as in live or recorded videos.

Design is the art of shaping the way text and images (such as photos, picture, and charts) look in print or electronic materials. It includes formatting text with font, color, and spacing. It involves making, choosing, and formatting images. Design also includes laying out text and images.

Mixed (verbal and nonverbal) communication

Verbal and nonverbal communication are often used together. For instance, a pie chart of type 2 diabetes causes (design – nonverbal) may also have a title and labels (written – verbal). During an office visit, a healthcare provider may talk (oral – verbal), make eye contact (body cues – nonverbal), and show a picture (design – nonverbal). Likewise, a recorded webinar on birth control options may have audio and video files, as well as written captions.

What is effective health communication?

We’ve looked at some ways to share health information . But what makes health communication effective?

Effective health communication promotes health literacy

Effective health communication enables people to “find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.” That’s according to Healthy People 2030 , an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Effective health communication is a health literacy universal precaution

Effective health communication helps all of us. It’s a health literacy universal precaution .

Why? Health information is complex. Many people have trouble finding, understanding, and using health information. Even strong health literacy skills can falter at times of stress — such as a health crisis. And you can’t always tell when someone has trouble.

Therefore, as someone who provides health information, strive to communicate as well as possible every time, with every audience.

What is the impact of effective health communication?

We’ve looked at what makes health communication effective. Now let’s discuss why it’s so important.

Better patient self-management = better health outcomes

Effective health communication helps patients take better care of their health . For instance, clear labeling helps patients correctly measure their medicine doses. Better self-management, in turn, improves health outcomes , such as lowering the rate of deaths caused by heart problems.

Better use of healthcare services = more efficient, less costly healthcare

At the same time, effective health communication improves use of healthcare services . That is, it increases use of preventive care (such as getting flu shots ), while decreasing avoidable hospitalizations and use of emergency care. This makes healthcare more efficient and less costly .

Higher patient satisfaction

Effective health communication also boosts patient satisfaction . That is, it leads to higher scores on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS).

Higher rewards for healthcare providers and organizations

Value-based programs (such as Medicare) reward healthcare providers and organizations for scoring well on such measures as health outcomes, patient safety, patient experience, efficiency, and cost. Better scores mean higher rewards.

Fewer legal problems for healthcare providers and organizations

Finally, healthcare providers and organizations that use effective communication are less likely to face legal problems, such as malpractice claims .

What are some barriers to effective health communication?

We’ve looked at why effective health communication is so important. Now let’s discuss some things that get in its way.

Medical words

You may be comfortable using medical words such as “hypertension” and “idiopathic.” You probably learned these words through your education or training. You may use them when you communicate with other people in your field. Your audience, however, may find these words confusing.

Language differences

You and your audience may not use the same language, or may not use it with the same ease. Language differences can make communication all the more challenging.

Cultural differences

You and your audience may come from different cultures, resulting in different beliefs and practices. These differences can make it harder to understand and trust each other.

Disabilities and other challenges

Some members of your audience may have disabilities and other challenges that make it harder to communicate about health. For instance, they may have trouble seeing, hearing, talking, reading, or thinking.

Low health literacy

As we’ve discussed, many people have low health literacy . That means they have trouble finding, understanding, and using health information.

Complexity of health topics

Health topics are complex, and the knowledge base is always changing. As a result, you may have trouble sharing health information in a way that your audience can understand and use.

Lack of time

Good health communication takes time. Yet your employer may limit how much time you spend on health communication.

What are some strategies for effective health communication?

We’ve looked at some barriers to effective health communication. Now let’s discuss some ways to overcome them.

Use a tailored approach for all types of communication

As a health communicator, it’s your job to communicate effectively with your audience. Therefore, tailor communication to your audience’s needs and preferences. Do this for all types of communication: oral and written communication, as well as body cues and design.

Use effective oral and written communication

Here are some tips for speaking and writing:

Use simple, everyday words. Avoid using unusual words, medical j argon, acronyms, and abbreviations. If you must use challenging words, spell them out or define them on first use. This is called using plain language.

Be friendly. Pretend you’re communicating with friends. Speak or write directly to your audience by using the word “you.”

Be brief. D on’t overwhelm your audience with health information. Instead, focus on the few key points they need to know.

Give action steps. Tell your audience clearly what you want them to do.

Use examples and stories. These can help you explain tough concepts. Plus, they engage your audience.

Organize information. Put information in a logical order. Start with the most important information.

Introduce and summarize. Start by saying what you’ll be covering. Close by summarizing key points.

Use effective oral communication

Here are some tips for speaking :

Be kind. Consider your listener’s thoughts and feelings.

Treat your listeners with respect. Honor their dignity as human beings. Avoid making assumptions. Instead, treat each person as an individual with unique needs.

Take it slow. Speak at a moderate pace. Pause often. This gives your listener a chance to make sense of the health information.

Invite questions. If you’re speaking to people live (in person or at a distance), encourage them to ask questions. Say something like: “What questions do you have for me today?”

Use teach-back. If you’re a healthcare provider, u se teach-back near the end of a health visit to make sure you communicated clearly. Teach-back is a test of you — not your patient. This method is shown in the box.

Teach-back has three steps:

Use effective written communication

Here are some tips for writing:

Use short sentences and paragraphs. Readers can get lost in a sea of words. Breaking your ideas down into short sentences and paragraphs is a better way to make your ideas clear. Focus each sentence or paragraph on one idea.

Use lists. Where it makes sense, use numbered and bulleted lists (like this one). Lists break text into chunks that are easy to digest and remember. Try to limit lists to no more than seven items.

Use headings and subheadings. Headings and subheadings (like the one above this list) tell readers what a section is about. You can use them to guide readers. Some people read only headings and subheadings. So make sure they contain useful information.

Use effective body cues

Here are some tips for using body cues :

Be friendly. Speak in a warm tone of voice. Also, smile and make eye contact (if appropriate).

Be a good listener. When your audience speaks, pay attention, and don’t interrupt.

Use effective design

Here are some tips for design:

Make text easier to understand. For instance, c hoose a font that is easy to read.

Make text easier to use. For instance, use headings to guide readers.

Choose images wisely. For instance, choose relevant images that show the desired action .

Use images wisely.

This article gives an overview of effective health communication . Here’s a quick recap.

Ways to communicate health information

Verbal (oral and written) communication

Nonverbal communication (body cues and design)

Meaning of effective health communication

Effective health communication promotes health literacy. It’s a universal health literacy precaution.

Impact of effective health communication

Better patient self-management, which leads to better health outcomes.

Better use of healthcare services, which leads to more efficient, less costly healthcare.

Higher patient satisfaction.

Higher rewards for healthcare providers and organizations.

Fewer legal problems for healthcare providers and organizations.

Barriers to effective health communication

Language and cultural differences

Lack of time

Strategies for effective health communication

Tips for all types of health communication

Tailor communication to your audience’s needs and preferences.

Tips for oral and written communication

Use simple, everyday words.

Be friendly and brief.

Give action steps.

Use examples and stories .

O rganize information.

Introduce and summarize.

Tips for oral communication

Treat your listeners with respect.

Take it slow.

Invite questions.

Use teach-back.

Tips for written communication

Use short sentences and paragraphs.

Use lists, headings, and subheadings.

Tips for b ody cues

Be friendly.

Be a good listener.

Tips for design

Make text easier to understand and use.

Choose and use images wisely.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Carolyn Cutilli and Sophia Wong , for their invaluable peer review and expert feedback, which significantly contributed to the enhancement of this article.

How should we talk about mental health?

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How should we talk about mental health? | ideas.ted.com

Mental health suffers from a major image problem. One in every four people experiences mental health issues — yet more than 40 percent of countries worldwide have no mental health policy. Across the board it seems like we have no idea how to talk about it respectfully and responsibly.

Stigma and discrimination are the two biggest obstacles to a productive public dialogue about mental health; indeed, the problem seems to be largely one of communication. So we asked seven mental health experts: How should we talk about mental health? How can informed and sensitive people do it right – and how can the media do it responsibly?

End the stigma

Easier said than done, of course. Says journalist Andrew Solomon : “People still think that it’s shameful if they have a mental illness. They think it shows personal weakness. They think it shows a failing. If it’s their children who have mental illness, they think it reflects their failure as parents.” This self-inflicted stigma can make it difficult for people to speak about even their own mental health problems. According to neuroscientist Sarah Caddick , this is because when someone points to his wrist to tell you it’s broken, you can easily understand the problem, but that’s not the case when the issue is with the three-pound mass hidden inside someone’s skull. “The minute you start talking about your mind, people get very anxious, because we associate that with being who we are, fundamentally with ‘us’ — us as a person, us as an individual, our thoughts, our fears, our hopes, our aspirations, our everything.” Says mental health care advocate Vikram Patel , “Feeling miserable could in fact be seen as part of you or an extension of your social world, and applying a biomedical label is not always something that everyone with depression, for example, is comfortable with.” Banishing the stigma attached to mental health issues can go a long way to facilitating genuinely useful conversations.

Avoid correlations between criminality and mental illness

People are too quick to dole out judgments on people who experience mental health problems, grouping them together when isolated incidents of violence or crime occur. Says Caddick , “You get a major incident like Columbine or Virginia Tech and then the media asks, ‘Why didn’t people know that he was bipolar?’ ‘Was he schizophrenic?’ From there, some people think, ‘Well, everybody with bipolar disease is likely to go out and shoot down a whole bunch of people in a school,’ or, ‘People who are schizophrenics shouldn’t be out on the street.’” Solomon agrees that this correlation works against a productive conversation about mental health: “The tendency to connect people’s crimes to mental illness diagnoses that are not in fact associated with criminality needs to go away. ‘This person murdered everyone because he was depressed.’ You think, yes, you could sort of indicate here this person was depressed and he murdered everyone, but most people who are depressed do not murder everyone.”

But do correlate more between mental illness and suicide

According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or other mental disorders, or substance-abuse disorders in conjunction with other mental disorders. Yet we don’t give this link its due. Says Solomon , “Just as the association between mental illness and crime is too strong, the connection between mental illness and suicide is too weak. So I feel like what I constantly read in the articles is that ‘so-and-so killed himself because his business had gone bankrupt and his wife had left him.’ And I think, okay, those were the triggering circumstances, but he killed himself because he suffered from a mental illness that drove him to kill himself. He was terribly depressed.”

Avoid words like “crazy” or “psycho”

Not surprisingly, nearly all the mental health experts we consulted were quick to decry playground slang like “mental,” “schizo,” “crazy,” “loonie,” or “nutter,” stigmatizing words that become embedded in people’s minds from a young age. NIMH Director Thomas Insel takes that one step further — he doesn’t like the category of “mental health problems” in general. He says, “Should we call cancer a ‘cell cycle problem’? Calling serious mental illness a ‘behavioral health problem’ is like calling cancer a ‘pain problem.’” Comedian Ruby Wax , however, has a different point of view: “I call people that are mentally disturbed, you know, I say they’re crazy. I think in the right tone, that’s not the problem. Let’s not get caught in the minutiae of it.”

If you feel comfortable talking about your own experience with mental health, by all means, do so

Self-advocacy can be very powerful. It reaches people who are going through similar experiences as well as the general public. Solomon believes that people equipped to share their experiences should do so: “The most moving letter I ever received in a way was one that was only a sentence long, and it came from someone who didn’t sign his name. He just wrote me a postcard and said, ‘I was going to kill myself, but I read your book and changed my mind.’ And really, I thought, okay, if nobody else ever reads anything I’ve written, I’ve done some good in the world. It’s very important just to keep writing about these things, because I think there’s a trickle-down effect, and that the vocabulary that goes into serious books actually makes its way into the common experience — at least a little bit of it does — and makes it easier to talk about all of these things.” Solomon , Wax , as well as Temple Grandin , below, have all become public figures for mental health advocacy through sharing their own experiences.

Don’t define a person by his/her mental illnesses

Just as a tumor need not define a person, the same goes for mental illness. Although the line between mental health and the “rest” of a person is somewhat blurry, experts say the distinction is necessary. Says Insel : “We need to talk about mental disorders the way we talk about other medical disorders. We generally don’t let having a medical illness define a person’s identity, yet we are very cautious about revealing mental illness because it will somehow define a person’s competence or even suggest dangerousness.” Caddick agrees: “There’s a lot of things that go on in the brain, and just because one thing goes wrong doesn’t mean that everything’s going wrong.”

Separate the person from the problem

Continuing from the last, Insel and Patel both recommend avoiding language that identifies people only by their mental health problems. Says Insel , speak of “someone with schizophrenia,” not “the schizophrenic.” (Although, he points out, people with autism do often ask to be referred to as “autistic.”) Making this distinction clear, says Patel , honors and respects the individual. “What you’re really saying is, this is something that’s not part of a person; it’s something the person is suffering from or is living with, and it’s a different thing from the person.”

Sometimes the problem isn’t that we’re using the wrong words, but that we’re not talking at all

Sometimes it just starts with speaking up. In Solomon’s words: “Wittgenstein said, ‘All I know is what I have words for.’ And I think that if you don’t have the words for it, you can’t explain to somebody else what your need is. To some degree, you can’t even explain to yourself what your need is. And so you can’t get better.” But, as suicide prevention advocate Chris Le knows well, there are challenges to talking about suicide and depression. Organizations aiming to raise awareness about depression and suicide have to wrangle with suicide contagion, or copycat suicides that can be sparked by media attention, especially in young people. Le, though, feels strongly that promoting dialogue ultimately helps. One simple solution, he says, is to keep it personal: “Reach out to your friends. If you’re down, talk to somebody, because remember that one time that your friend was down, and you talked to them, and they felt a little better? So reach out, support people, talk about your emotions and get comfortable with them.”

Recognize the amazing contributions of people with mental health differences

Says autism activist Temple Grandin : “If it weren’t for a little bit of autism, we wouldn’t have any phones to talk on.” She describes the tech community as filled with autistic pioneers. “Einstein definitely was; he had no language until age three. How about Steve Jobs? I’ll only mention the dead ones by name. The live ones, you’ll have to look them up on the Internet.” Of depression, Grandin says: “The organizations involved with depression need to be emphasizing how many really creative people, people whose books we love, whose movies we love, their arts, have had a lot of problems with depression. See, a little bit of those genetics makes you sensitive, makes you emotional, makes you sensitive — and that makes you creative in a certain way.”

Humor helps

Humor, some say, is the best medicine for your brain. Says comedian Wax : “If you surround [your message] with comedy, you have an entrée into their psyche. People love novelty, so for me it’s sort of foreplay: I’m softening them up, and then you can deliver as dark as you want. But if you whine, if you whine about being a woman or being black, good luck. Everybody smells it. But it’s true. People are liberated by laughing at themselves.”

Featured illustration via iStockphoto.

About the author

Thu-Huong Ha is a freelance writer. Previously she was the books and culture reporter for Quartz and the context editor at TED. Her writing has also appeared on Slate and in The New York Times Book Review. Her debut novel, Hail Caesar, was published in 2007 by PUSH, a YA imprint of Scholastic, and was named an NYPL Book for the Teen Age. Follow her at twitter.com/thu

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Universal Health Care

The Importance of Universal Health Care in Improving Our Nation’s Response to Pandemics and Health Disparities

Policy Statements and Advocacy
Policy Statement Database
Development Process
Archiving Process
Proposed Policy Statements
Date: Oct 24 2020
Policy Number: LB20-06

Key Words: Health Insurance, Health Care, Health Equity

Abstract The COVID pandemic adds a new sense of urgency to establish a universal health care system in the United States. Our current system is inequitable, does not adequately cover vulnerable groups, is cost prohibitive, and lacks the flexibility to respond to periods of economic and health downturns. During economic declines, our employer-supported insurance system results in millions of Americans losing access to care. While the Affordable Care Act significantly increased Americans’ coverage, it remains expensive and is under constant legal threat, making it an unreliable conduit of care. Relying on Medicaid as a safety net is untenable because, although enrollment has increased, states are making significant Medicaid cuts to balance budgets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries with universal health care leveraged their systems to mobilize resources and ensure testing and care for their residents. In addition, research shows that expanding health coverage decreases health disparities and supports vulnerable populations’ access to care. This policy statement advocates for universal health care as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in October 2019. The statement promotes the overall goal of achieving a system that cares for everyone. It refrains from supporting one particular system, as the substantial topic of payment models deserves singular attention and is beyond the present scope.

Relationship to Existing APHA Policy Statements We propose that this statement replace APHA Policy Statement 20007 (Support for a New Campaign for Universal Health Care), which is set to be archived in 2020. The following policy statements support the purpose of this statement by advocating for health reform:

APHA Policy Statement Statement 200911: Public Health’s Critical Role in Health Reform in the United States
APHA Policy Statement 201415: Support for Social Determinants of Behavioral Health and Pathways for Integrated and Better Public Health

In addition, this statement is consistent with the following APHA policies that reference public health’s role in disaster response:

APHA Policy Statement 20198: Public Health Support for Long-Term Responses in High-Impact, Postdisaster Settings
APHA Policy Statement 6211(PP): The Role of State and Local Health Departments in Planning for Community Health Emergencies
APHA Policy Statement 9116: Health Professionals and Disaster Preparedness
APHA Policy Statement 20069: Response to Disasters: Protection of Rescue and Recovery Workers, Volunteers, and Residents Responding to Disasters

Problem Statement Discussions around universal health care in the United States started in the 1910s and have resurfaced periodically.[1] President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted twice in the 1940s to establish universal health care and failed both times.[1] Eventually, the U.S. Congress passed Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s. Universal health care more recently gained attention during debates on and eventual passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).[2]

To date, the U.S. government remains the largest payer of health care in the United States, covering nearly 90 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).[3] However, this coverage is not universal, and many Americans were uninsured[4] or underinsured[5] before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated underlying issues in our current health care system and highlighted the urgent need for universal health care for all Americans.

Health care is inaccessible for many individuals in the United States: For many Americans, accessing health care is cost prohibitive.[6] Coverage under employer-based insurance is vulnerable to fluctuations in the economy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 10 million Americans may lose their employer-sponsored health insurance by December 2020 as a result of job loss.[7] When uninsured or underinsured people refrain from seeking care secondary to cost issues, this leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment, promotes the spread of COVID-19, and may increase overall health care system costs.

The ACA reformed health care by, for instance, eliminating exclusions for preexisting conditions, requiring coverage of 10 standardized essential health care services, capping out-of-pocket expenses, and significantly increasing the number of insured Americans. However, many benefits remain uncovered, and out-of-pocket costs can vary considerably. For example, an ACA average deductible ($3,064) is twice the rate of a private health plan ($1,478).[4] Those living with a disability or chronic illness are likely to use more health services and pay more. A recent survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that 38.2% of working adults and 59.6% of adults receiving unemployment benefits from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act could not afford a $400 expense, highlighting that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated lack of access to health care because of high out-of-pocket expenses.[8] In addition, the ACA did not cover optometry or dental services for adults, thereby inhibiting access to care even among the insured population.[9]

Our current health care system cannot adequately respond to the pandemic and supply the care it demands: As in other economic downturns wherein people lost their employer-based insurance, more people enrolled in Medicaid during the pandemic. States’ efforts to cover their population, such as expanding eligibility, allowing self-attestation of eligibility criteria, and simplifying the application process, also increased Medicaid enrollment numbers.[10] The federal “maintenance of eligibility” requirements further increased the number of people on Medicaid by postponing eligibility redeterminations. While resuming eligibility redeterminations will cause some to lose coverage, many will remain eligible because their incomes continue to fall below Medicaid income thresholds.[10]

An urgent need for coverage during the pandemic exists. Virginia’s enrollment has increased by 20% since March 2020. In Arizona, 78,000 people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP in 2 months.[11] In New Mexico, where 42% of the population was already enrolled in Medicaid, 10,000 more people signed up in the first 2 weeks of April than expected before the pandemic.[11] Nearly 17 million people who lost their jobs during the pandemic could be eligible for Medicaid by January 2021.[12]

While increasing Medicaid enrollment can cover individuals who otherwise cannot afford care, it further strains state budgets.[11] Medicaid spending represents a significant portion of states’ budgets, making it a prime target for cuts. Ohio announced $210 million in cuts to Medicaid, a significant part of Colorado’s $229 million in spending cuts came from Medicaid, Alaska cut $31 million in Medicaid, and Georgia anticipates 14% reductions overall.[11]

While Congress has authorized a 6.2% increase in federal Medicaid matching, this increase is set to expire at the end of the public health emergency declaration (currently set for October 23, 2020)[13] and is unlikely to sufficiently make up the gap caused by increased spending and decreased revenue.[14] Given the severity and projected longevity of the pandemic’s economic consequences, many people will remain enrolled in Medicaid throughout state and federal funding cuts. This piecemeal funding strategy is unsustainable and will strain Medicaid, making accessibility even more difficult for patients.

Our health care system is inequitable: Racial disparities are embedded in our health care system and lead to worse COVID-19 health outcomes in minority groups. The first federal health care program, the medical division of the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established arguably out of Congress’s desire for newly emancipated slaves to return to working plantations in the midst of a smallpox outbreak in their community rather than out of concern for their well-being.[15] An effort in 1945 to expand the nation’s health care system actually reinforced segregation of hospitals.[15] Moreover, similar to today, health insurance was employer based, making it difficult for Black Americans to obtain.

Although the 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed segregation of health care facilities receiving federal funding and the 2010 ACA significantly benefited people of color, racial and sexual minority disparities persist today in our health care system. For example, under a distribution formula set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), hospitals reimbursed mostly by Medicaid and Medicare received far less federal funding from the March 2020 CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act than hospitals mostly reimbursed by private insurance.[16] Hospitals in the bottom 10% based on private insurance revenue received less than half of what hospitals in the top 10% received. Medicare reimburses hospitals, on average, at half the rate of private insurers. Therefore, hospitals that primarily serve low-income patients received a disproportionately smaller share of total federal funding.[16]

Additional barriers for these communities include fewer and more distant testing sites, longer wait times,[17] prohibitive costs, and lack of a usual source of care.[18] Black Americans diagnosed with COVID-19 are more likely than their White counterparts to live in lower-income zip codes, to receive tests in the emergency department or as inpatients, and to be hospitalized and require care in an intensive care unit.[19] Nationally, only 20% of U.S. counties are disproportionately Black, but these counties account for 52% of COVID-19 diagnoses and 58% of deaths.[20] The pre-pandemic racial gaps in health care catalyzed pandemic disparities and will continue to widen them in the future.

Our health care system insufficiently covers vulnerable groups: About 14 million U.S. adults needed long-term care in 2018.[21] Medicare, employer-based insurance, and the ACA do not cover home- and community-based long-term care. Only private long-term care insurance and patchwork systems for Medicaid-eligible recipients cover such assistance. For those paying out of pocket, estimated home care services average $51,480 to $52,624 per year, with adult day services at more than $19,500 per year.[22]

Our current health care system also inadequately supports individuals with mental illness. APHA officially recognized this issue in 2014, stating that we have “lacked an adequate and consistent public health response [to behavioral health disorders] for several reasons” and that the “treatment of mental health and substance use disorders in the United States has been provided in segregated, fragmented, and underfunded care settings.”[23]

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought urgency to the universal health care discussion in the United States. This is an unprecedented time, and the pandemic has exacerbated many of the existing problems in our current patchwork health care system. The COVID-19 pandemic is a watershed moment where we can reconstruct a fractured health insurance system into a system of universal health care.

Evidence-Based Strategies to Address the Problem We advocate for the definition of universal health care outlined in the 2019 resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which member nations signed on to, including the United States. According to this resolution, “universal health coverage implies that all people have access, without discrimination, to nationally determined sets of the needed promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative essential health services, and essential, safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines and vaccines, while ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the users to financial hardship, with a special emphasis on the poor, vulnerable and marginalized segments of the population.”[24]

Our current system is inaccessible, inflexible, and inequitable, and it insufficiently covers vulnerable populations. Here we present supporting evidence that universal health care can help address these issues.

Universal health care can increase accessibility to care: Evidence supporting universal health care is mostly limited to natural experiments and examples from other countries. Although countries with universal health care systems also struggle in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, their response and mortality outcomes are better owing to their robust universal systems.[25]

While individuals in the United States lost health care coverage during the pandemic, individuals in countries with universal health care were able to maintain access to care.[26–28] Some European and East Asian countries continue to offer comprehensive, continuous care to their citizens during the pandemic.

Taiwan’s single-payer national health insurance covers more than 99% of the country’s population, allowing easy access to care with copayments of $14 for physician visits and $7 for prescriptions. On average, people in Taiwan see their physician 15 times per year.[27] Also, coronavirus tests are provided free of charge, and there are sufficient hospital isolation rooms for confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19.[28]

Thai epidemiologists credit their universal health care system with controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.[29] They have described how their first patient, a taxi driver, sought medical attention unencumbered by doubts about paying for his care. They benefit from one of the lowest caseloads in the world.[29]

Universal health care is a more cohesive system that can better respond to health care demands during the pandemic and in future routine care: Leveraging its universal health care system, Norway began aggressively tracking and testing known contacts of individuals infected with COVID-19 as early as February 2020. Public health officials identified community spread and quickly shut down areas of contagion. By April 30, Norway had administered 172,586 tests and recorded 7,667 positive cases of COVID-19. Experts attribute Norway’s success, in part, to its universal health care system.[26] Norway’s early comprehensive response and relentless testing and tracing benefited the country’s case counts and mortality outcomes.

Once China released the genetic sequence of COVID-19, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control laboratory rapidly developed a test kit and expanded capacity via the national laboratory diagnostic network, engaging 37 laboratories that can perform 3,900 tests per day.[28] Taiwan quickly mobilized approaches for case identification, distribution of face masks, containment, and resource allocation by leveraging its national health insurance database and integrating it with the country’s customs and immigration database daily.[28] Taiwan’s system proved to be flexible in meeting disaster response needs.

Although these countries’ success in containing COVID-19 varied, their universal health care systems allowed comprehensive responses.

Universal health care can help decrease disparities and inequities in health: Several factors point to decreased racial and ethnic disparities under a universal health care model. CHIP’s creation in 1997 covered children in low-income families who did not qualify for Medicaid; this coverage is associated with increased access to care and reduced racial disparities.[30] Similarly, differences in diabetes and cardiovascular disease outcomes by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status decline among previously uninsured adults once they become eligible for Medicare coverage.[31] While universal access to medical care can reduce health disparities, it does not eliminate them; health inequity is a much larger systemic issue that society needs to address.

Universal health care better supports the needs of vulnerable groups: The United States can adopt strategies from existing models in other countries with long-term care policies already in place. For example, Germany offers mandatory long-term disability and illness coverage as part of its national social insurance system, operated since 2014 by 131 nonprofit sickness funds. German citizens can receive an array of subsidized long-term care services without age restrictions.[32] In France, citizens 60 years and older receive long-term care support through an income-adjusted universal program.[33]

Universal health care can also decrease health disparities among individuals with mental illness. For instance, the ACA Medicaid expansion helped individuals with mental health concerns by improving access to care and effective mental health treatment.[34]

Opposing Arguments/Evidence Universal health care is more expensive: Government spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP has been increasing and is projected to grow 6.3% on average annually between 2018 and 2028.[35] In 1968, spending on major health care programs represented 0.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP); in 2018 it represented 5.2% of the GDP, and it is projected to represent 6.8% in 2028.[35] These estimates do not account for universal health care, which, by some estimates, may add $32.6 trillion to the federal budget during the first 10 years and equal 10% of the GDP in 2022.[36]

Counterpoint: Some models of single-payer universal health care systems estimate savings of $450 billion annually.[37] Others estimate $1.8 trillion in savings over a 10-year period.[38] In 2019, 17% of the U.S. GDP was spent on health care; comparable countries with universal health care spent, on average, only 8.8%.[39]

Counterpoint: Health care services in the United States are more expensive than in other economically comparable countries. For example, per capita spending on inpatient and outpatient care (the biggest driver of health care costs in the United States) is more than two times greater even with shorter hospital stays and fewer physician visits.[40] Overall, the United States spends over $5,000 more per person in health costs than countries of similar size and wealth.[40]

Counterpoint: Administrative costs are lower in countries with universal health care. The United States spends four times more per capita on administrative costs than similar countries with universal health care.[41] Nine percent of U.S. health care spending goes toward administrative costs, while other countries average only 3.6%. In addition, the United States has the highest growth rate in administrative costs (5.4%), a rate that is currently double that of other countries.[41]

Universal health care will lead to rationing of medical services, increase wait times, and result in care that is inferior to that currently offered by the U.S. health care system. Opponents of universal health care point to the longer wait times of Medicaid beneficiaries and other countries as a sign of worse care. It has been shown that 9.4% of Medicaid beneficiaries have trouble accessing care due to long wait times, as compared with 4.2% of privately insured patients.[42] Patients in some countries with universal health care, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, experience longer wait times to see their physicians than patients in the United States.[43] In addition, some point to lower cancer death rates in the United States than in countries with universal health care as a sign of a superior system.[44]

Another concern is rationing of medical services due to increased demands from newly insured individuals. Countries with universal health care use methods such as price setting, service restriction, controlled distribution, budgeting, and cost-benefit analysis to ration services.[45]

Counterpoint: The Unites States already rations health care services by excluding patients who are unable to pay for care. This entrenched rationing leads to widening health disparities. It also increases the prevalence of chronic conditions in low-income and minority groups and, in turn, predisposes these groups to disproportionately worse outcomes during the pandemic. Allocation of resources should not be determined by what patients can and cannot afford. This policy statement calls for high-value, evidence-based health care, which will reduce waste and decrease rationing.

Counterpoint: Opponents of universal health care note that Medicaid patients endure longer wait times to obtain care than privately insured patients[42] and that countries with universal health care have longer wait times than the United States.[43] Although the United States enjoys shorter wait times, this does not translate into better health outcomes. For instance, the United States has higher respiratory disease, maternal mortality, and premature death rates and carries a higher disease burden than comparable wealthy countries.[46]

Counterpoint: A review of more than 100 countries’ health care systems suggests that broader coverage increases access to care and improves population health.

Counterpoint: While it is reasonable to assume that eliminating financial barriers to care will lead to a rise in health care utilization because use will increase in groups that previously could not afford care, a review of the implementation of universal health care in 13 capitalist countries revealed no or only small (less than 10%) post-implementation increases in overall health care use.[47] This finding was likely related to some diseases being treated earlier, when less intense utilization was required, as well as a shift in use of care from the wealthy to the poorest.[47]

Alternative Strategies States and the federal government can implement several alternative strategies to increase access to health care. However, these strategies are piecemeal responses, face legal challenges, and offer unreliable assurance for coverage. Importantly, these alternative strategies also do not necessarily or explicitly acknowledge health as a right.

State strategies: The remaining 14 states can adopt the Medicaid expansions in the ACA, and states that previously expanded can open new enrollment periods for their ACA marketplaces to encourage enrollment.[48] While this is a strategy to extend coverage to many of those left behind, frequent legal challenges to the ACA and Medicaid cuts make it an unreliable source of coverage in the future. In addition, although many people gained insurance, access to care remained challenging due to prohibitively priced premiums and direct costs.

Before the pandemic, the New York state legislature began exploring universal single-payer coverage, and the New Mexico legislature started considering a Medicaid buy-in option.[49] These systems would cover only residents of a particular state, and they remain susceptible to fluctuations in Medicaid cuts, state revenues, and business decisions of private contractors in the marketplace.

Federal government strategies: Congress can continue to pass legislation in the vein of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES Act. These acts required all private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid to cover COVID-19 testing, eliminate cost sharing, and set funds to cover testing for uninsured individuals. They fell short in requiring assistance with COVID-19 treatment. A strategy of incremental legislation to address the pandemic is highly susceptible to the political climate, is unreliable, and does not address non-COVID-19 health outcomes. Most importantly, this system perpetuates a fragmented response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An additional option for the federal government is to cover the full costs of Medicaid expansion in the 14 states yet to expand coverage. If states increased expansion and enforced existing ACA regulations, nearly all Americans could gain health insurance.[50] This alternative is risky, however, due to frequent legal challenges to the ACA. Furthermore, high costs to access care would continue to exist.

Action Steps This statement reaffirms APHA’s support of the right to health through universal health care. Therefore, APHA:

Urges Congress and the president to recognize universal health care as a right.
Urges Congress to fund and design and the president to enact and implement a comprehensive universal health care system that is accessible and affordable for all residents; that ensures access to rural populations, people experiencing homelessness, sexual minority groups, those with disabilities, and marginalized populations; that is not dependent on employment, medical or mental health status, immigration status, or income; that emphasizes high-value, evidence-based care; that includes automatic and mandatory enrollment; and that minimizes administrative burden.
Urges Congress and states to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst to develop an inclusive and comprehensive health care system that is resilient, equitable, and accessible.
Urges the DHHS, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Institute of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, academic institutions, researchers, and think tanks to examine equitable access to health care, including provision of mental health care, long-term care, dental care, and vision care.
Urges Congress, national health care leaders, academic institutions, hospitals, and each person living in the United States to recognize the harms caused by institutionalized racism in our health care system and collaborate to build a system that is equitable and just.
Urges Congress to mandate the Federal Register Standards for Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment to meet the everyday health care physical access challenges of children and adults with disabilities.
Urges national health care leaders to design a transition and implementation strategy that communicates the impact of a proposed universal health care system on individuals, hospitals, health care companies, health care workers, and communities.
Urges Congress, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the DHHS, and other public health partners, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, to recognize the need for and supply adequate funding for a robust public health system. This public health system will prepare for, prevent, and respond to both imminent and long-term threats to public health, as previously supported in APHA Policy Statement 200911.

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Available at: https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/distribution-of-cares-act-funding-among-hospitals/?utm_campaign=KFF-2020-Health-Costs&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_NBOAd_787Yk73Ach1gaH-KDgGLsgoe4vPuqKuidkHwExyNBpENTaB_1ofCIpXrzNoNCx8ACiem-YqMKAF8-6Zv7xDXw&_hsmi=2. Accessed August 15, 2020. 17. Rader B, Astley CM, Sy KTL, et al. Geographic access to United States SARS-CoV-2 testing sites highlights healthcare disparities and may bias transmission estimates. J Travel Med. 2020;27(7):taaa076. 18. Artiga S, Garfield R, Orgera K. Communities of color at higher risk for health and economic challenges due to COVID-19. Available at: https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/communities-of-color-at-higher-risk-for-health-and-economic-challenges-due-to-covid-19/. Accessed August 14, 2020. 19. Azar K, Shen Z, Romanelli R, et al. Disparities in outcomes among COVID-19 patients in a large health care system in California. Health Aff (Millwood). 2020;39(7):1253–1262. 20. Millett GA, Jones AT, Benkeser D, et al. Assessing differential impacts of COVID-19 on black communities. Ann Epidemiol. 2020;47:37–44. 21. Hado E, Komisar H. Long-term services and supports. Available at: https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2017/long-term-services-and-supports.html. Accessed September 1, 2020. 22. GenWorth Financial. Cost of care survey. Available at: https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care.html. Accessed September 1, 2020. 23. American Public Health Association. Policy statement 201415: support for social determinants of behavioral health and pathways for integrated and better public health. Available at: https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2015/01/28/14/58/support-for-social-determinants-of-behavioral-health. Accessed September 1, 2020. 24. UN General Assembly. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 10 October 2019—political declaration of the high-level meeting on universal health coverage. Available at: https://www.un.org/pga/73/wp-content/uploads/sites/53/2019/07/FINAL-draft-UHC-Political-Declaration.pdf. Accessed September 30, 2020. 25. Sommers BD, Baicker K, Epstein AM. Mortality and access to care among adults after state Medicaid expansions. N Engl J Med. 2012;367(11):1025–1034. 26. Jones A. I left Norway’s lockdown for the US: the difference is shocking. Available at: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/coronavirus-norway-lockdown/. Accessed September 1, 2020. 27. Maizland L. Comparing six health-care systems in a pandemic. Available at: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/comparing-six-health-care-systems-pandemicX. Accessed August 20, 2020. 28. Wang CJ, Ng CY, Brook RH. Response to COVID-19 in Taiwan: big data analytics, new technology, and proactive testing. JAMA. 2020;323(14):1341–1342. 29. Gharib M. Universal health care supports Thailand’s coronavirus strategy. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/28/884458999/universal-health-care-supports-thailands-coronavirus-strategy. Accessed August 30, 2020. 30. Shone LP, Dick AW, Klein JD, Zwanziger J, Szilagyi PG. Reduction in racial and ethnic disparities after enrollment in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Pediatrics. 2005;115(6):e697–e705. 31. McWilliams JM, Meara E, Zaslavsky AM, Ayanian JZ. Health of previously uninsured adults after acquiring Medicare coverage. JAMA. 2007;298(24):2886–2894. 32. Rhee JC, Done N, Anderson GF. Considering long-term care insurance for middle-income countries: comparing South Korea with Japan and Germany. Health Policy. 2015;119(10):1319–1329. 33. Doty P, Nadash P, Racco N. Long-term care financing: lessons from France. Milbank Q. 2015;93(2):359–391. 34. Wen H, Druss BG, Cummings JR. Effect of Medicaid expansions on health insurance coverage and access to care among low-income adults with behavioral health conditions. Health Serv Res. 2015;50(6):1787–1809. 35. Congressional Budget Office. Projections of federal spending on major health care programs. Available at: https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/presentation/53887-presentation.pdf. Accessed October 12, 2020. 36. Blahous C. The costs of a national single-payer healthcare system. Available at: https://www.mercatus.org/publications/government-spending/costs-national-single-payer-healthcare-system. Accessed October 10, 2020. 37. Galvani AP, Parpia AS, Foster EM, Singer BH, Fitzpatrick MC. Improving the prognosis of health care in the USA. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):524–533. 38. Friedman G. Funding HR 676: the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act. How we can afford a national single-payer health plan. Available at: https://www.pnhp.org/sites/default/files/Funding%20HR%20676_Friedman_7.31.13_proofed.pdf. Accessed September 15, 2020. 39. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Health expenditure and financing. Available at: https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?ThemeTreeId=9. Accessed September 27, 2020. 40. Kurani N, Cox C. What drives health spending in the U.S. compared to other countries? Available at: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/what-drives-health-spending-in-the-u-s-compared-to-other-countries/. Accessed September 30, 2020. 41. Tollen L, Keating E, Weil A. How administrative spending contributes to excess US health spending. Available at: https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200218.375060/abs/. Accessed August 30, 2020. 42. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Medicaid: states made multiple program changes, and beneficiaries generally reported access comparable to private insurance. Available at: https://www.gao.gov/assets/650/649788.pdf. Accessed August 30, 2020. 43. How Canada Compares: Results from the Commonwealth Fund’s 2016 International Health Policy Survey of Adults in 11 Countries. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Canadian Institute for Health Information; 2017. 44. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Deaths from cancer: total, per 100,000 persons, 2018 or latest available. Available at: https://data.oecd.org/healthstat/deaths-from-cancer.htm. Accessed October 12, 2020. 45. Hoffman B. Health Care for Some: Rights and Rationing in the United States since 1930. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; 2012. 46. Kurani N, McDermott D, Shanosky N. How does the quality of the U.S. healthcare system compare to other countries? Available at: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-start. Accessed September 20, 2020. 47. Gaffney A, Woolhandler S, Himmelstein D. The effect of large-scale health coverage expansions in wealthy nations on society-wide healthcare utilization. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(8):2406–2417. 48. King JS. COVID-19 and the need for health care reform. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(26):e104. 49. Hughes M. COVID-19 proves that we need universal health care. States are exploring their options. Available at: https://rooseveltinstitute.org/2020/06/25/covid-19-proves-that-we-need-universal-health-care-states-are-exploring-their-options/. Accessed September 1, 2020. 50. Blumenthal D, Fowler EJ, Abrams M, Collins SR. COVID-19—implications for the health care system. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(15):1483–1488.

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Spreading the word: why we need to talk about mental health

By HealthSherpa

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but it’s important to talk about mental health all year round. In large part, this is connected to the societal stigma that has plagued mental illnesses. But this topic is about more than just disorders. Here’s what else it covers and why it’s important to talk about mental health.

What is mental health?

Mental health is a state of well-being that encompasses the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of our lives. If you have positive mental health, you’re able to realize your own potential, work productively, manage the normal stresses of life, have healthy relationships, and make a contribution to your community. Conversely, if you experience mental health problems, it could impact how you think, feel, and act, and this could adversely impact other areas of your life.

Why is it important to talk about mental health?

Mental health is a crucial part of overall health, yet it is often a hushed topic of discussion — if it’s even discussed at all. This is largely due to the stigma that has long surrounded mental illnesses. Mental disorders are actually quite common and there is treatment to help with recovery. The stigma, however, often prevents people from seeking treatment, which can isolate them even more and worsen their conditions. Talking about mental health helps improve our communities by making it more acceptable for those suffering from mental illnesses to seek help, learn to cope, and get on the road to recovery. In addition, mental health isn’t just about mental illnesses. It’s also about maintaining a positive state of wellbeing. Talking about mental health helps improve our communities by helping members maintain positive mental health, and a community of people in good mental health creates a more productive and collaborative environment.

Whom do mental illnesses impact?

Mental illnesses are common and widespread and can affect anyone. Nearly one-fifth of the U.S. adult population lives with some sort of mental disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Approximately four percent live with a serious mental illness. The statistics are similar for children and adolescents. The CDC estimates that approximately 13-20 percent of minors in the U.S. experience a mental disorder in any given year. In fact, 75 percent of mental illnesses manifest before age 24, with 50% showing the first signs before age 14. When you add in the family members and friends who are supporting those living with a mental illness, the number of Americans impacted is significant.

What are some of the most common mental illnesses in the United States?

Anxiety disorders are the most common, with nearly one-fifth of the adult population in the U.S. living with this type of mental illness. Many people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression. In the United States, nearly seven percent of the adult population live with major depression. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are also more common in the U.S. than you might think at 2.6 percent and 1.1 percent of the adult population, respectively.

What are the signs and symptoms of the most common mental illnesses?

Each mental illness is different, though some have overlapping symptoms. There are, however, some warning signs that could indicate a need to see a medical or mental health professional. These early warning signs include:

Eating or sleeping too much or too little
Abusing alcohol, drugs, or tobacco
Fighting more with friends and family
Considering harming yourself or others
Feeling fatigued with low or no energy
Feeling apathetic
Feeling hopeless or helpless
Feeling sad or irritable for long periods of time
Experiencing excessive amounts of anger, anxiety, confusion, fear, forgetfulness, and worry
Experiencing extreme mood swings that negatively impact relationships
Experiencing unexplained physical pain
Hearing voices or having delusional thoughts
Withdrawing from other people and social activities
Being unable to do your daily tasks

What should I do if I think I have a mental health issue?

Find and talk with a mental health professional if you think you may be living with a mental illness so you can get the appropriate treatment. This is important for both your mental and physical health. In addition to impacting your day-to-day life and potentially causing financial distress due to lost earnings, serious mental illnesses also increase your risk of having chronic medical conditions. You can also take screening tests for some mental disorders, but only a mental health professional can formally diagnose you and get you on the road to recovery.

How can I help a friend or family member who has or may have a mental health issue?

Learning the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other common mental health illnesses can help you spot potential mental health issues. If you’re concerned, talk to your loved one and encourage him or her to speak with a mental health professional. If you think your friend or family member may hurt him or herself, encourage them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK to chat with a trained crisis worker. Online chat is also available.

Is mental health coverage included under the Affordable Care Act?

Yes! Mental health services are one of the essential health benefits that are mandated by the ACA . Coverage includes behavioral health treatments such as counseling and psychotherapy, inpatient services for mental and behavioral health, and treatment for substance abuse. The exact mental health benefits you have will depend on your health insurance plan. In addition, most plans also include preventive mental health services such as depression screenings.

How can I maintain positive mental health?

Being mentally healthy allows you to realize your own potential and help with that of your community’s. Proactive ways to maintain positive mental health include exercising, getting adequate sleep, learning how to cope with life’s stresses , connecting with other people, and speaking with a mental health professional when you need it.

One Comments

nice information, Thanks for sharing.

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10 Impactful Informative Speech Topics About Mental Health

By knbbs-sharer.

Mental health is a crucial aspect of our well-being, yet it remains one of the most stigmatized and overlooked issues in our society. It’s important to raise awareness about mental health and provide a safe space for individuals to share their experiences and struggles. One way to do this is through informative speeches that shed light on the topic.

Here are ten impactful informative speech topics about mental health that can help start conversations and break down barriers:

1. The Importance of Self-Care for Mental Health Self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, and therapy can help improve mental health and reduce stress levels. This speech can provide practical tips and strategies for self-care.

2. The Benefits of Mindfulness for Anxiety and Depression Mindfulness practices such as deep breathing and visualization are effective ways to manage anxiety and depression. This speech can explore the science behind mindfulness and its positive effects on mental health.

3. Understanding the Connection Between Trauma and Mental Health Trauma can have a long-lasting impact on our mental health. This speech can delve into the various types of trauma and their effects on mental health, as well as coping mechanisms and treatment options.

4. The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health Social media can have both positive and negative effects on mental health. This speech can discuss the ways in which social media can impact our self-esteem, relationships, and overall mental health.

5. Intersectionality in Mental Health Mental health does not exist in a vacuum and is heavily influenced by factors such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. This speech can explore how intersectionality impacts mental health and the need for culturally competent mental health care.

6. The Importance of Mental Health in the Workplace Mental health issues can greatly impact work productivity and employee morale. This speech can examine the need for mental health resources and accommodations in the workplace.

7. Coping with Grief and Loss Grief and loss are natural parts of life, but they can also take a toll on our mental health. This speech can provide insights into healthy coping mechanisms and ways to support those who are grieving.

8. The Effects of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health Childhood trauma can have lasting impacts on our mental health in adulthood. This speech can explore the correlation between childhood trauma and mental health issues, as well as ways to heal and move forward.

9. Understanding the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Stigma and discrimination often prevent individuals from seeking help for mental health issues. This speech can examine the social and cultural factors that contribute to mental health stigma and the need for advocacy and education.

10. The Importance of Mental Health Treatment and Support Mental health treatment and support can help individuals manage their symptoms and live fulfilling lives. This speech can discuss the various treatment options available for mental health issues and the importance of seeking help.

In conclusion, mental health is a complex and multifaceted issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Informative speeches can help break down barriers and raise awareness about the importance of mental health. The above topics provide a starting point to explore this critical topic and start meaningful conversations. Let’s continue to prioritize mental health and support those who are struggling.

(Note: Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)

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Why Is Public Speaking Important? Because It’s Useful

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: February 9, 2020

Why-Is-Public-Speaking-Important-It's-Useful

Why is public speaking important? The reason is that everyone encounters a situation where public speaking skills are necessary. It could be at work, school, or in your personal life. Whether you are looking for tips on conquering stage fright, looking to improve your public speaking skills, or trying to motivate others on the importance of public speaking, we have all the info you need here. Find out all the benefits of public speaking below.

Public Speaking Definition

According to Merriam-Webster , public speaking is “the act or process of making speeches in public,” or “the art of effective oral communication with others.”

Everyday Public Speaking

Public speaking for the everyday person is still extremely important. Public speaking has many benefits in everyday life and can be grouped into the following categories:

1. Informative Speaking:

This type of speaking is the most common and happens to most people daily. It involves speaking in order to inform others, or get information out. This can be academic or professional knowledge, but can also be to report your progress on a project, or tell someone how to use something.

2. Persuasive Speaking:

Public speaking will often be in order to persuade others. This can be in a debate or formal speech, but can also be minor persuasions such as going to a place you choose for lunch. Persuasive public speaking is a very valuable skill to have.

3. Entertaining Speaking:

Public speaking for entertainment is used for award ceremonies, wedding speeches, comedy sketches, poetry reading, and much more. The purpose of this type of public speaking is to entertain the audience, instead of merely informing.

Why is Public Speaking Important?

Photo from pexels, 1. win over your crowd.

No matter the crowd in front of you — whether at a social gathering, business meeting or large audience at a conference — being able to speak publicly is a very important asset. With public speaking skills and experience, speakers are able to captivate the interest of their listeners and keep them interested in order to deliver the message.

2. Motivate Others

Public speakers motivate their listeners to make a change. It could be to stop or start something, try something new, or reach their goals. Public speaking is important because the speaker can motivate others to go in the direction they wish, and the speaker can motivate others to be their best selves.

3. Inform People

When you have information to share, you don’t want it to be portrayed in a boring way. You want people to listen! This is done with public speaking skills. Inform people about something that matters by using great public skills and they will be sure to listen and be more likely to understand the information.

Benefits of Public Speaking In Your Life

Photo by christina morillo from pexels, career benefits.

If you’re currently working in sales, the benefits of public speaking are many. You can reach for higher sales goals, get more customers and make more sales with public speaking skills.

2. Career advancement:

When you are a good public speaker, you will be more comfortable in interviews , be better able to sway others in your favor, and convince your boss to give you a promotion.

3. Stand out in the workforce:

Most will avoid speaking up and putting themselves in the spotlight at work, but with public speaking skills you have the confidence to do so!

4. Bring people together:

Within your company or on your team, public speaking is a way to bring workers together. When many people feel confident in public speaking, workers will speak their mind and collaborate better together.

5. Become a thought leader:

A thought leader is someone that people go to for ideas, consult on problems, and more. Being a good public speaker makes you that person and will get you ahead in your job when people know they can come to you.

Make New Social Connections

1. Find supporters:

When you practice public speaking, you are championing for others or a cause, and you will find a tribe of supporters to surround yourself with. These will be people who are like-minded or who share your values.

2. Get comfortable in social settings:

Public speaking allows you to relax in a group situation or when the spotlight is on you. This will make you more comfortable around people and easier to make connections.

3. Increase your professional network :

As you speak in more public settings such as work events and conferences, you will undoubtedly meet other speakers in your field, as well as audience members who are interested in what you have to say.

Developing Leadership Skills

If you want to do well and get ahead in school or your career, leadership is part of the equation. As a leader, you will have many public speaking opportunities.

1. Good speaker = good leader:

Most of the great leaders in human history were also great public speakers.

2. Good leader = opportunities:

As a good leader, you will be given more opportunities in social settings, your career, and other aspects of life.

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Photo by startup stock photos from pexels, 1. boost confidence.

Public speaking repeatedly is a great boost of self confidence. Every time you speak, you gain a bit more confidence as you see your ideas and yourself were well-received by your audience.

2. Personal Satisfaction

Being able to speak in front of a crowd is a huge accomplishment. The first time can be very nerve-wracking, but coming out on the other end of the speech is a huge win! After the first time, you will keep getting better and better at public speaking and will get great personal satisfaction from this skill.

3. Critical Thinking

When preparing and conducting a speech, you also increase your critical thinking skills by working through problems, imagining positive and negative consequences, and finding solutions.

4. Improve Communication Skills

When you practice public speaking, you are practicing both verbal and nonverbal skills — and both will improve. The more you speak out, the better you get at communication . Public speakers are better overall communicators in all facets of life.

5. Learn to Argue

Presenting an argument in a formal setting will help you in informal settings as well. Public speaking helps you form better arguments, and you can increase your arguing skills even more through public speaking by engaging in Q&A with your audience.

6. Be a Better Listener

Attending conferences as a speaker means you will also listen to other speakers. As you listen to other speakers, you will have a greater appreciation and understanding of their material and craft, as a speaker yourself.

Public Speaking Helps You Drive Change

Photo by denniz futalan from pexels.

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to get your message across. With public speaking, you can influence the world around you. If you see something that needs to change, use public speaking to change it!

Make the difference:

Every public speaking opportunity you come across is a time to spread you influence for the greater good.

Reach people fast:

Instead of waiting for your message to spread by word of mouth, social media , or print media, put it in front of a huge audience and you’ll instantly inspire many.

Your message comes to life:

Written information is useful in some cases, but when you really want to make a difference in the world, you need to campaign for your cause and the best way to do so is to get it to come to life with public speaking.

How to Get Better at Public Speaking

Writing the speech.

1. Be prepared:

When you are comfortable, you are confident. Write a good speech that makes sense to you and that you are prepared to deliver.

2. Research the topic:

When you have thoroughly researched the topic, you will feel more confident when writing and delivering the speech.

3. Outline or write it out?

When you write out an entire speech, it will be easier to memorize as it can be stored word for word in your memory. The downside is that it could sound robotic and you risk reading it straight from the page. When you write an outline for a speech, it may sound more natural and you can glance at your outline as you. However, it is more difficult to rehearse and some people feel less confident with only an outline in front of them. It all depends on what you prefer.

Overcoming Your Stage Fright

Photo by mentatdgt from pexels.

Fear of public speaking is a common one, but it can be overcome. Use these tips to help you overcome the fear:

1. Read your speech out loud:

Even if it’s just to yourself, reading it aloud will help you work out any hiccups and have you feeling confident with your voice.

2. Practice in front of a group:

Don’t just practice in the mirror or with a friend. To get over a fear of speaking in front of a crowd, try to practice in front of a small group first.

3. Should you picture the crowd in underwear?

The answer is, probably not. Even though this is common advice to get you to relax, it can be distracting. The best thing to do is to make eye contact, but if that starts to make you nervous, pretend the crowd is not there and just look straight ahead.

4. Pump yourself up:

Whatever gets you going before a test or a game, the same applies here. Listen to your favorite music on the way, or go for a run in the morning.

5. Use the power of knowledge:

When you know both your speech and your topic inside and out, completely by heart, you will have the confidence to focus on delivery and staying relaxed in front of others.

Things To Remember As You’re Giving The Speech

1. eye contact:.

Know your speech well so that you can maintain eye contact with the audience. This is important to engage them and make yourself more personable.

2. Move your view:

Make sure to move your eye contact around the room. Slightly shift your body or head at times towards a new direction if the crowd is large.

3. Talk, don’t read:

Try to talk to your audience as if you are inviting them into your thoughts. Do not read your speech word for word off the paper.

4. Your voice is a tool:

And people need to hear it! Make sure you are speaking loud enough so that you are heard.

5. Body language:

This is another important tool for public speakers. Try recording yourself so you are aware of your body language and fix any fidgets you find on the recording.

When you are good at it and practice often, the benefits of public speaking are many. Being an excellent public speaker is important for your career, social life, personal development , and for making a change in the world.

Each time you speak, you get better and better. So get out there and make your voice heard!

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.

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The important role of a speech and language pathologist.

Many of you are probably already aware that May is Better Hearing and Speech Month . Since one of the goals of Better Hearing and Speech Month is to raise awareness about communication impairments and the professionals who treat them, this seems like a good time to share some information about Kindred’s speech and language pathologists (SLPs), and what they do for our patients.

SLPs are responsible for the evaluation and treatment of speech and language impediments, but they actually do a great deal more than that. They also evaluate and treat swallowing problems, impaired cognition, and hearing problems. For patients who aren’t able to communicate through speech, SLPs teach them alternative methods of communication, like using pictures or symbols, hand gestures, sign language, or “talking computers” to let others know what they want or need. “The speech and language pathologist is the communication specialist that enhances our patients’ verbal and written expressions, auditory processing skills, auditory and reading comprehension levels, attention spans, memories, and problem solving and organizational skills,” says Michelle Tristani, M.S., CCC-SLP, National Rehab Clinical Specialist for Speech Pathology. “The speech and language pathologist also specializes in oral and pharyngeal swallowing disorders and in swallowing rehabilitation.” Learn more about the SLP profession from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Ideally, SLPs will work closely with other therapists as part of an interdisciplinary team to contribute to the patient’s overall plan of care. “We collaborate with other disciplines such as nursing, activity directors, and physical and occupational therapists,” Tristani says. “Speech and language interventions are included in each patient’s care plan, as appropriate. We also provide training to other therapists on individualized and effective communication with patients who have speech problems, and on strategies that will help them to communicate with patients who have impaired cognition.”

Staying on top of their game is an important part of the work for Kindred's SLP professionals. “In May, we make an extra effort to locate and send out new best practice resources to our speech pathologists, although we do send out those resources as we hear about them year-round.” says Tristani. “During Better Hearing and Speech Month, we also highlight clinical best practices through articles in our newsletter.”

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Speech on Importance Of Healthy Food

Eating healthy food is like fueling your body with premium gas. It powers your daily activities, helps you stay strong, and keeps your mind sharp.

Ignore junk food’s siren song. Swap it for fruits, veggies, grains, and lean proteins. Your body will thank you with better health and more energy.

1-minute Speech on Importance Of Healthy Food

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

Today, we explore a topic that touches all our lives: the importance of healthy food.

Healthy food is like the fuel for our bodies. Just like a car needs the right petrol to run smoothly, our bodies need the right food to work well. If we eat junk food, we might feel good for a bit, but soon our bodies will start to feel tired and weak.

Eating healthy helps us grow strong and stay fit. Have you ever seen a runner win a race after eating a bag of chips? No, right? That’s because our bodies need good food, full of nutrients, to perform at their best.

Plus, eating healthy helps us fight off illness. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins that help our bodies stay strong. They’re like soldiers that protect us from getting sick.

So, to wrap up, eating healthy food is vital. It makes us strong, keeps our minds sharp, and helps us fight off illness. Just as we take care of our toys, books, and pets, we should also take care of our bodies. And the best way to do that is by eating healthy food.

Remember, we are what we eat. So let’s choose to be healthy, strong, and full of energy. Thank you.

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2-minute Speech on Importance Of Healthy Food

Today we gather to talk about something that touches our lives every single day – food. Not just any food, but healthy food. We often hear the phrase, “You are what you eat”. This means that the food we eat has a huge impact on our health and well-being. So why is healthy food so important? Let’s break it down.

Firstly, healthy food gives us energy. Think of your body like a car. A car needs fuel to run, right? Our bodies are the same. They need fuel to function, and that fuel is food. But just like a car can’t run on the wrong kind of fuel, our bodies can’t run well on unhealthy food. Foods rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats provide us with the energy we need to run, play, think, and grow.

Secondly, healthy food helps us stay strong and fight illness. Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that keep our bodies working well. Eating lots of different fruits and vegetables can help us fight off sickness. So, if you want to avoid catching a cold or the flu, don’t forget to eat your fruits and veggies!

Thirdly, healthy food is good for our brains. Foods like fish, nuts, and seeds are full of nutrients that help our brains work better. They can help us focus, remember things, and even feel happier. So, if you have a big test coming up or need to focus on a task, try eating some nuts or a piece of fish.

Lastly, eating healthy food helps us feel good about ourselves. When we eat well, we feel good. We have more energy, we’re less likely to get sick, and we can think more clearly. Plus, when we take care of our bodies by eating healthy, it shows that we respect ourselves. And that’s something to feel good about!

Remember, your health is in your hands. Make a smart choice and choose healthy food. Thank you.

We also have speeches on more interesting topics that you may want to explore.

Public Speaking – A Necessary Skill Set in Healthcare

As a healthcare professional, public speaking is a vital form of communication used at ceremonies, demonstrations, informative presentations, and other events to engage and educate audiences.

How to speak effectively

Public speaking requires the speaker to first think about the audience. You must think, “Who is this audience? What are they looking to learn? What do they have to gain by attending this event? What events led them to attend this event?” You can then tailor the presentation to meet the expectations of the audience in a way that is most beneficial and interesting to them – the most important aspect of effective public speaking.

Once you understand your audience, you should fine tune the delivery of the speech by rehearsing the talking points and presentation. Speak using an outline, rather than writing out your speech word-for-word – you’re going for a relaxed, extemporaneous delivery in which you make eye contact with the audience, rather than reading a canned speech from the podium.

Rehearsal will help you reduce nervousness and exhibit confidence, provide concise and valuable information, and utilize proper grammar and pronunciation. Also, rehearsal is the only way to know if your presentation is the appropriate length for the time allotted – this is less important if you’re the only speaker of the day, but it’s critical if you’re presenting a workshop as part of a full day of programming.

Often, using a PowerPoint can help the audience absorb what you’re saying. Charts and graphs can be a great way to convey quantitative information, but make sure you point out what you want the audience to understand. While you should certainly refer to your PowerPoint, don’t read it as part of the presentation, as that’s tedious for your audience – instead, limit the words on each slide. Don’t forget to include blank slides in your presentation when you don’t have something meaningful to project, as this will direct the audience’s focus back to you, the speaker.

Effective speakers don’t focus on themselves during a presentation – therefore, listening to the opinions, ideas, and questions the audience may have will enhance the audience’s experience and create a more effective presentation. So it’s important to consider the question-and-answer session after the speech. What are you likely to be asked? How can you prepare for those questions? If you get a question you’re not expecting and don’t know the answer, say so – and be prepared to direct the person questioning to where they might find out.

The consequences of not connecting with your audience

When you fail to connect with your audience, the effectiveness of your speech is reduced. This lack of connection leads to audience disengagement, ineffective delivery of the information itself, and could hurt your reputation as a speaker.

Most presentations in the healthcare system are designed to educate others on new medical discoveries, techniques, or skills that can be used to save lives. In short, the information is important – therefore, it’s important that you work to be as effective as you can as a speaker.

Most common public speaking mishaps

No speech will ever be completely perfect, but following the techniques of effective public speaking will help all public speakers to avoid the most common public speaking mishaps.

The following items are some of the most common public speaking mistakes:

Lack of audience connection
Lack of preparation and rehearsal
Reading from slides or over-dependence on visuals
Lack of emotion or use of monotone voice
Lack of eye contact
Content focus too advanced or too simple for the audience
Not ending on a strong note
Use of jargon or incorrect grammar

Our annual student anesthesia seminar is a great place to enhance your public speaking skills

Every spring, we hold our annual student anesthesia seminar to help current CRNAs earn continuing education credits by observing and learning from the presentations of others in their field. SRNAs have the opportunity to enhance their public speaking skills by providing an informative speech on their current research.

For more information on our annual seminars visit www.aanesthetists.com/education .

Election latest: Farage on defensive after supporters caught on camera making racist, murderous and homophobic remarks

Rishi Sunak has spoken out after a Reform UK supporter was filmed making racist comments about him - with party leader Nigel Farage forced on to the defensive. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has distanced himself from a Labour colleague's previous criticism of Donald Trump.

Friday 28 June 2024 16:30, UK

General Election 2024

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Sunak: Farage supporter using racial slur 'makes me angry'
Farage on defensive after supporters filmed making racist, murderous and homophobic comments
Police 'urgently assessing' comments to see if 'criminal offences' committed
Reform UK racism and homophobia scandal: What do we know?
Starmer says he would resign if Labour lost badly
Analysis : Sunak's tetchiness over betting scandal speaks volumes
PM accuses Farage of Putin 'appeasement'
Rylan would 'love' to get into politics
Politics at Jack and Sam's : The last weekend
Live reporting by Ben Bloch

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Trackers: Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
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Last night, Channel 4 broadcast a report in which a Reform UK campaigner called Rishi Sunak a "P***".

Asked about this today, the prime minister told broadcasters: "Well, my two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an effing 'P***'.

"It hurts, and it makes me angry, and I think he has some questions to answer.

"And I don't repeat those words lightly. I do so deliberately because this is too important not to call out clearly for what it is."

Asked about repeating the word the Reform supporter used, he said: "I hate having to do it, I chose my words deliberately, I hate having to repeat them, absolutely hate it.

"But I also think it's important to call this out for what it is and be clear about what it is."

TV presenter Rylan Clark has said he would "love" to become a politician - and replace the party system with a "Power Rangers of government" model.

The TV personality, 35, joined political editor Beth Rigby and former Scottish Conservative leader Baroness Ruth Davidson for this week's Sky News Electoral Dysfunction podcast.

Asked if he would ever consider the career change, he said: "If I wasn't in the job that I was in, I would love nothing more."

Rylan, who won Celebrity Big Brother and also appeared on the X Factor, appeared on the podcast in place of Labour candidate Jess Phillips after tweeting his praise for Rigby on the day Rishi Sunak announced the general election.

Sharing a clip of her and Sky presenter Sophy Ridge outside a rainy Downing Street waiting for Mr Sunak to appear at the lectern, he said: "Obsessed with the Rigby."

Speaking to her and Davidson, he said his "obsession" with politics began with Brexit - "as we've seen so many promises which weren't fulfilled" since then.

He added: "I lie there at night sometimes, and I think about [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy. He hosted one of the same shows I've hosted in Ukraine."

The TV presenter also shared his idea of abandoning political parties altogether.

Read the full story here:

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

With under a week to go, the Tories and Labour have taken a drop, while support for Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats is on the rise.

Julian Assange leaves jail on his way to enter plea deal with the U.S.

WASHINGTON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from a British prison and on his way to a remote Pacific island on Tuesday where he will plead guilty to a conspiracy charge as part of a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department, according to court documents .

The agreement will free Assange and end the yearslong legal battle over the publication of a trove of classified documents.

Assange was charged by criminal information — which typically signifies a plea deal — with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, the court documents said.

Wikileaks posted footage to X of Assange boarding a plane at Stanstead Airport near London at 5 p.m. (12 p.m. ET) on Monday.

A letter from Justice Department official Matthew McKenzie said Assange would appear in court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S.-controlled territory north of Guam, at 9 a.m. local time Wednesday (7 p.m. ET Tuesday) to plead guilty.

A plane believed to be carrying Assange landed early Tuesday in the Thai capital Bangkok to refuel. He will later arrive for what could be a final court hearing after spending five years in a British jail.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison in Britain and is set to face a final court hearing after reaching a plea deal with US authorities that brings to a close his years-long legal drama.

The islands are 3,400 miles north of Australia, Assange's country of citizenship, where the Justice Department expects he will return following the proceedings.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that "the case has dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia."

Assange's mother, Christine Assange, said in a statement widely reported by Australian media: "I am grateful that my son’s ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy."

His wife, Stella Assange, is currently in Australia with the couple's two children, aged 5 and 7, waiting for his arrival, she told BBC Radio 4. "He will be a free man once it is signed off by a judge," she said, adding that she wasn't sure the deal would happen until the last 24 hours.

She said she was "elated."

Stella Assange, a lawyer, also told the Reuters news agency that she would seek a pardon on her husband's behalf. She said that accepting a guilty plea on an espionage charge created a "very serious concern" for journalists across the world.

U.S. charges against Assange stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during President Barack Obama's first term.

Starting in late 2009, according to the government, Assange conspired with Chelsea Manning , a military intelligence analyst, to use his WikiLeaks website to disclose tens of thousands of activity reports about the war in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of reports about the war in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of State Department cables and assessment briefs of detainees at the U.S. detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Court documents revealing Assange's plea deal were filed Monday evening in U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Assange was expected to appear in that court and to be sentenced to 62 months, with credit for time served in British prison, meaning he would be free to return to Australia, where he was born.

“This was an independent decision made by the Department of Justice and there was no White House involvement in the plea deal decision,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Monday evening.

Assange has been held in the high-security Belmarsh Prison in east London for five years, and he previously spent seven years in self-exile at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London — where he reportedly fathered two children — until his asylum was withdrawn and he was forcibly carried out of the embassy and arrested in April 2019.

A superseding indictment was returned more than five years ago, in May 2019, and a second superseding indictment was returned in June 2020 .

Assange has been fighting extradition for more than a decade: first in connection with a sex crimes case in Sweden that was eventually dropped, then in connection with the case against him in the United States.

In March, the High Court in London gave him permission for a full hearing on his appeal as he sought assurances that he could rely upon the First Amendment at a trial in the U.S. In May, two judges on the High Court said he could have a full hearing on whether he would be discriminated against in the U.S. because he is a foreign national. A hearing on the issue of Assange's free speech rights had been scheduled for July 9-10 .

WikiLeaks also published hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee that upended the 2016 presidential race. Russian intelligence officers were subsequently indicted in connection with the hacking in 2018 in a case brought by then-special counsel Robert Mueller.

At a joint news conference with then-President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin days later, Trump contradicted the indictment and the intelligence community, saying Putin was " extremely strong and powerful in his denial " that Russians interfered in the 2016 election to help him win.

Manning was sentenced to 35 years in a military prison, but Obama commuted her sentence in the final days of his presidency in 2017. Manning was subsequently held in contempt of court for nearly a year after she refused to answer questions for a grand jury; she was then released after an attempted suicide .

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org . You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

Michael Kosnar and Ryan J. Reilly reported from Washington, and Patrick Smith from London.

Michael Kosnar is a Justice Department producer for the NBC News Washington Bureau.

Ryan J. Reilly is a justice reporter for NBC News.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

IMAGES

Importance of Health Essay In English || The Importance of Good Health Essay
Essay on Importance of Healthy Life || The importance of good Health || Essay writing
Why Health Care Is Important?
Reasons Why Health Education Is Important
Mental Health Persuasive Speech
Why is Mental Health Important?

VIDEO

Why Health Important
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Health Conversations: The Importance of Sleeping
Do You Agree? #shorts #shortsfeed #shortsvideo #foodie
Effective English Phrases for Health Inquiries
Public Health Communication

COMMENTS

Speech on Importance Of Health
Speech on Importance Of Health. Health is your greatest wealth, so taking care of it should be a top priority. It's the foundation of a happy, fulfilling life. The decisions you make today can greatly impact your future wellbeing. A healthy body is like a well-oiled machine, ready to face any challenge. So, don't underestimate the power of ...
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10 December 2017. "The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition". Almost 70 years after these words were adopted in the Constitution of the World Health Organization, they are more ...
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The increasing importance of global health. Colleagues in public health, ladies and gentlemen, In addressing the place of global health in international affairs, I will be speaking about success, shocks, surprises, and moral vindication. The 21st century began well for public health. When the governments of 189 countries signed the Millennium ...
Speech on Health and Fitness for Students
Health and fitness is the most important aspect of our life. There is nothing more important than health for any human being. When we are healthy and fit we are able to enjoy our life well. We can talk to our near and dear one, we can laugh, smile, travel, enjoy food, and sleep well. But when our health and fitness is not up to the mark, we are ...
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Make Sleep a Priority. Stay Active. Avoid Harmful Substances. Manage Your Stress. Taking care of your physical body is good for your mental health. The mind and body interact and influence one another in complex ways. Physical illness can make managing your mental well-being more difficult. Stress, lack of energy, poor sleep, and other problems ...
Speech on Health for Students in English
It is important for the students to write the speech in the English language for quite many reasons. But one of the most important reasons is that English is the most spoken language in the world, and it has also achieved the status of Global language, more than that many companies of the European countries have made English one of the official languages for business.
258 Speech Topics on Health [Persuasive, Informative, Argumentative]
Informative. Here are some ideas for informative speech topics on physical and mental wellness - from health supplements to fitness tests and from spinning to back pain exercises. You can use this list of speech topics in two ways: Take the public speaking topics as they are, and research all ins and outs. Associate and invent your mapping ...
Effective Health Communication
At the same time, effective health communication improves use of healthcare services. That is, it increases use of preventive care (such as getting flu shots ), while decreasing avoidable hospitalizations and use of emergency care. This makes healthcare more efficient and less costly. Higher patient satisfaction.
Speech on How Health Is Affected By Lifestyle
1-minute Speech on How Health Is Affected By Lifestyle. Ladies and Gentlemen, Imagine your body is a car. To keep the car running smoothly, we need to give it good fuel and regular maintenance. Likewise, our bodies need healthy food and exercise to stay in top shape. This is why our lifestyle, the way we live our day-to-day lives, has a huge ...
Mental Health and the Importance of the Conversation
Its upkeep is critical for promoting positive habits and general well-being. Investing in one's mental health can boost productivity, improve one's self-esteem, and help improve relationships. It does not end there; fostering it can also assist us in controlling or at the very least combat some of the physical health issues that are said to ...
How should we talk about mental health?
According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or other mental disorders, or substance-abuse disorders in conjunction with other mental disorders. Yet we don't give this link its due. Says Solomon, "Just as the association between mental illness and crime is too strong ...
Speech on Importance of Health
Short speech on Good Health for Students in English. The most important aspect of our life is staying healthy. Health is the most important thing to anyone. We can completely appreciate life in good bodily and mental health. We can talk to our loved ones, laugh, smile, travel, eat, and sleep peacefully.
Speech on Importance Of Mental Health
In conclusion, mental health is very important. It helps us to be happy, healthy, and strong. It helps us to learn, to work, and to make friends. It's something we should all care about, no matter how young or old we are. It's not something to be scared of or ashamed about. It's just another part of being human.
The Importance of Universal Health Care in Improving Our Nation's
Universal health care can help decrease disparities and inequities in health: Several factors point to decreased racial and ethnic disparities under a universal health care model. CHIP's creation in 1997 covered children in low-income families who did not qualify for Medicaid; this coverage is associated with increased access to care and ...
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Talking about mental health helps improve our communities by making it more acceptable for those suffering from mental illnesses to seek help, learn to cope, and get on the road to recovery. In addition, mental health isn't just about mental illnesses. It's also about maintaining a positive state of wellbeing.
10 Impactful Informative Speech Topics About Mental Health
This speech can discuss the various treatment options available for mental health issues and the importance of seeking help. In conclusion, mental health is a complex and multifaceted issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Informative speeches can help break down barriers and raise awareness about the importance of mental health.
The Importance of Communication in Health Care and Tips to Improve
Why Is Communication in Health Care Important? Effective communication can have a positive impact on the patient-provider dynamic in numerous ways. It can allow patients to be better educated about their own health, which could enable them to embrace proactive health and wellness strategies. It can also help patients develop a comprehensive ...
Speech, Language, and Communication in a Public Health Context ...
Speech and language therapists often contribute to public awareness campaigns as well as supporting, teaching and promoting the facilitation of speech, language, communication, and safe swallowing with the general public and health and social care professionals. ... These are sometimes considered as public health interventions. It is important ...
Why Is Public Speaking Important? It's Useful
Motivate Others. Public speakers motivate their listeners to make a change. It could be to stop or start something, try something new, or reach their goals. Public speaking is important because the speaker can motivate others to go in the direction they wish, and the speaker can motivate others to be their best selves. 3.
The Important Role of a Speech and Language Pathologist
SLPs are responsible for the evaluation and treatment of speech and language impediments, but they actually do a great deal more than that. They also evaluate and treat swallowing problems, impaired cognition, and hearing problems. For patients who aren't able to communicate through speech, SLPs teach them alternative methods of communication ...
Speech on Importance Of Healthy Food
Foods like fish, nuts, and seeds are full of nutrients that help our brains work better. They can help us focus, remember things, and even feel happier. So, if you have a big test coming up or need to focus on a task, try eating some nuts or a piece of fish. Lastly, eating healthy food helps us feel good about ourselves.
Public Speaking
In short, the information is important - therefore, it's important that you work to be as effective as you can as a speaker. Most common public speaking mishaps. No speech will ever be completely perfect, but following the techniques of effective public speaking will help all public speakers to avoid the most common public speaking mishaps.
The Importance of Speech
It is also through free speech that we gain the ability to access and defend other rights for ourselves and others. Given the importance and power of speech, we should all strive to become better speakers. Of course, " with great power comes great responsibility .". It is important that we use our speech in productive, helpful, and ethical ...
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Julian Assange leaves jail on his way to enter plea deal with the U.S
This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy." His wife, Stella Assange, is currently in Australia with the couple's two children, aged 5 and 7, waiting for his arrival, she told BBC ...