The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced awards of more than $372 million to 44 communities, to support public health efforts to reduce obesity and smoking, increase physical activity and improve nutrition.
“Investing in local communities will build a healthier America, and we aim to reach more than 50 million people who are living in the communities receiving these awards.”
The awards are part of the HHS Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative, a comprehensive prevention and wellness initiative funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
"This is an unprecedented level of commitment to prevention," said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Investing in local communities will build a healthier America, and we aim to reach more than 50 million people who are living in the communities receiving these awards.”
“We’re looking to create the healthy community environments that will help prevent heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and other serious health problems on a broad scale,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “And, by preventing and controlling chronic disease, we can start to turn around rising health care costs as well,” she said.
CPPW awards to cities, towns, and tribes across the country will provide communities with the resources to create healthy choices for residents, such as increasing availability of healthy foods and beverages, improving access to safe places for physical activity, discouraging tobacco use, and encouraging smoke-free environments.