The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is seeking input on an assessment identifying the primary health needs of Delawareans.
A draft of the State Health Assessment (SHA) —conducted every five years — is out, and DPH hopes the public will consider going over the document and sharing their feedback and lived experiences.
DPH Bureau of Health Equity Chief Sequoia Rent says Delawareans do not have to go through all 201 pages of the report, but they should consider picking their area of interest or expertise to review.
“The SHA does include Delaware voice — we did community conversations, we talked with community champions and community stakeholders, but we didn't speak to every single Delawarean, right? And so this is everyone's opportunity to have their voice heard in the recommendations for the SHIP," she said.
SHIP stands for State Health Improvement Plan, a series of recommendations based on the State Health Assessment that describes how the health department and the community will work together to improve the overall health of Delawareans.
Rent says the community conversations that helped inform the SHA indicate Delawareans biggest concerns remain the same.
“People have shared with us that transportation is an issue, and like I said, I don't think that's new, and that affordable housing is an issue, and I don't think that's new either. I think that everyone in the state really already knows that.”
The assessment shows some notable changes since the 2017 report, including a decrease in excessive drinking among adults from 19% to 14% and flu vaccination rates increasing in adults from 38% to almost 50%.
Data also shows Delawareans having more recent primary care visits than the national average, however, both Kent and Sussex County are federally recognized as areas with a primary care physician shortage.
Additionally, the assessment found Delawareans are more food secure than the national average but more targeted efforts are needed to address violence and substance use in the state.
You can find and comment on the full Statewide Health Assessment here.
