To address the most critical health priorities and challenges among its citizens, the United States of America proposed the Healthy People 2030 plan. Healthy People 2030 teaches to help individuals, health organizations, and communities to thrive in an equitable and inclusive society and promote health and wellness to help combat diseases in physical, social, and mental health domains (Giroir, 2021). This fifth iteration since 1980 under the Healthy People Initiative arose as a response to the pervasiveness of the pandemic (Hasbrouck, 2021). This paper, therefore, will explore Healthy People 2030’s focus on COVID-19 and address the causes of disparities within populations under this health issue. It will also seek to propose a communication strategy to help reduce disparity to promote health.
The Healthy People 2030 and COVID-19
The Healthy People 2030 plan population encompasses all population groups: adults, children, infants, the LGBTQ community, and people with disabilities. Health disparity is the deprivation of a particular group of people of the opportunity to access healthcare services (Teitelbaum et al., 2021). People realized the importance of health inclusiveness with sorrow caused by pandemics that took the lives of disadvantaged people. COVID-19 demonstrated the health disparities among disadvantaged populations that could not access telehealth and education resources to save their lives.
First, some children in less knowledgeable families did not receive the Coronavirus vaccine because their parents feared the consequences due to their illiteracy. Meanwhile, Black, Hispanic, and American Indians having lower socioeconomic status have jobs that can not be performed remotely (Lopez, 2022). They are forced to work despite the pervasiveness of COVID-19 because of financial constraints, thus, being more vulnerable to its effect. Moreover, people living below the average income move by public transport, creating a greater risk of infection. The fact that physical, social, and economic differences cause health disparities over time demonstrates why some populations are more vulnerable than others.
Public Health Communication Plan and Evaluation Means
Elimination of health disparities and promotion of inclusiveness are overarching goals of the proposed communication plan. It addresses different social determinants of health that would help advance health equity (Teitelbaum et al., 2021). A communication plan delivers a clear and concise message to the target audience without segmentation. First, people are reached through messages, flyers, and street posters. For example, the slogans can be displayed on public transport, and precautions about different social, cultural, and economic factors affecting health can be displayed on large placards. For general awareness, it is better to include tips for maintaining health and the soft promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Further communication goes directly through professionals who bypass workplaces and educational institutions in remote areas to conduct training. For a health campaign to be effective, the political leaders serve as the role models who comply with all advice and receive all vaccines.
An evaluation plan for the communication strategy can be in the form of an opinion poll to gather votes on whether people have changed their perception of others different from them. To assess fundamental understanding, some companies and institutions can conduct tests that would not affect employees’ work. Moreover, some experiments with the control groups where settings can be manipulated facilitate the evaluation. For example, by observing interactions between people from various backgrounds, the campaign’s success can be easily rated. Therefore, this communication plan would advocate for equitable access to health without discrimination.
Targeted Communication for each Population
Inclusivity of all the populations in the Healthy People 2030 health issue is paramount in the communication strategy proposed. People who do not speak lingua franca or speak some dialects or fewer spread languages should not feel aggrieved. Therefore, the language used during the campaign should not be discriminatory or demeaning to any population involved. For people with disabilities, the campaign considers their conditions and politely transmits information in an accessible form without hard-to-understand concepts. Regarding people living in remote areas, information can be delivered online or in person but negotiated with specialists. During the campaign, inclusivity of all people from diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, gender, sexual orientation, and age should be enforced.
References
Giroir, B. P. (2021). Healthy people 2030: A call to action to lead America to healthier lives.Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(6), S222. Web.
Hasbrouck, L. (2021). Healthy people 2030: An improved framework.Health Education & Behavior, 48(2), 113-114. Web.
Lopez, L., Hart, L., & Katz, M.H. (2022) Racial and ethnic health disparities related to COVID-19. Jama, 325(8), 719–720.
Teitelbaum, J., McGowan, A. K., Richmond, T. S., Kleinman, D. V., Pronk, N., Ochiai, E., Blakey, C., & Brewer, K. H. (2021). Practice Full Report: Law and policy as tools in Healthy People 2030.Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(6), S265. Web.