As displayed by the chart on page 2, many of the leading causes of death in New Hampshire are potentially preventable. Rural and urban poverty, the 96,000 people who remain uninsured, the increasing numbers of elderly in need of assistance, and the rising cost of prescription drugs all present challenges to the State s health care systems. These systems will need to increasingly reflect our cultural and linguistic diversity to assure that no one has limited access to the information and services that contribute to a healthy life. The absence of public transportation in New Hampshire s rural areas and in some urban areas presents an additional obstacle to those seeking health care. An ongoing shortage of health care providers serving rural and low-income urban populations, as well as our elderly citizens, will also challenge our collective action in the coming decade.
Socioeconomic status is an important predictor of health that deserves particular focus.
Clearly our agenda for health promotion in the next decade must address these unsettling trends. We are each called to reach out to our neighbors most in need and we are called to finally achieve equity of opportunity for all to lead full, active lives.