In organizations such as public health entities that provide services rather than products, quality can be somewhat difficult to define. One way to grasp quality is within the context of already established goals and objectives.
A U.S. public health organization, Healthy People 2020 (USDHHS, 2010), has developed a set of priority areas with a goal of attaining high-quality, longer lives for individuals that are free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death.
The United Nations has developed a similar list that it calls the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (which builds on the former World Health Organization's Millennium Development Goals). The SDGs set forth 17 goals (with 169 targets) that all 191 UN Member States have agreed to achieve by the year 2030.
The SDGs seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.
Although you may not live in the United States, such well-established and fairly universal public health goals and objectives as the Healthy People 2020 priority areas and the SDGs could also be helpful in advancing quality in certain identified public health problems that you might encounter as a public health administrator.
For this week's Discussion, review the priority areas established by these two organizations from your Learning Resources:
Healthy People 2020 framework (USDHHS, 2010)
United Nations (UN, n.d.)
Then select one priority area from one of these two organizations that you believe might advance quality in addressing your Final Project health issue (MENTAL HEALTH)
Post an explanation of the role that U.S. national (Healthy People 2020) and international (UN Sustainable Developmental Goals) goals and objectives would play in advancing quality in public health.
Then, list the priority area and organization you selected and explain how this priority area might advance quality in the Final Project health issue described.
Be specific and provide examples in your response.