National Health Education Week: Unsung Heroes of the New Normal

Good health doesn’t just happen on its own. If you’ve washed your hands, been vaccinated, exercised, made a conscious effort to eat healthy food, or quit an unhealthy habit, chances are, a health educator has impacted your life in one way or another. As our lives continue to revolve around public health like never before, that impact has never been more meaningful.

October 19–23 is National Health Education Week (NHEW), an initiative that the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) has observed since 1995. Today, as the battle against COVID-19 rages on, we shine a spotlight on the role of health education in our community.

All this week, SOPHE is hosting a series of webinars to discuss timely and relevant health education topics, such as health equity and the elimination of racism, emergency preparedness, mental health, and health literacy. All of us at Meditab stand with SOPHE and the medical community in generating more discourse on these topics, spreading national awareness and understanding for major public health concerns, and paying respect to the health educators behind these initiatives. 

Celebrating NHEW in Your Community

While your practice can learn from SOPHE’s webinars, you can also promote health education within your community through your own strategies. One of the best ways to engage patients is to share your own experiences and education materials on social media. Social channels are a great way to connect with people, start conversations, and share resources with your patients.

People are looking to healthcare experts, especially now. With that in mind, any amount of creativity can go a long way. Posters and flyers about the importance of health education specialists are easy to produce. The more we can all support patient education, the stronger our communities will be. 

Whether it is on social media or your practice’s website, now’s a great time to post about health education and the specialists who devote themselves to it year-round. Encouraging your community to still be mindful of COVID-19, get flu shots, seek mental health help, or visit their doctor for screenings all play a part.

Health Education as a Catalyst for Change

SOPHE’s theme for this year’s NHEW focuses on the future of health education and the next generation’s role in improving community health and wellness. Every bit of support can help foster more health education specialists. 

That means our community can better manage significant health risks and issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, HIV, and cancer. More than ever, education is the key to a healthier future. With more knowledge, our communities have a greater chance of overcoming the current health crisis and all those still to come. 

We are inspired to join the medical community in promoting health education along with SOPHE and other collaborators. To all the current and future health education specialists, we say, “Thank you.”