Mayor Dixon Reports on Health of Baltimore During Visit to Bloomberg School (web article)

Courtesy: Mark Dennis/City of Baltimore

Speaking at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon outlined some of the challenges facing the city, as well as the step her administration is taking to improve health in Baltimore.

“Health is at the core of my vision for Baltimore. Individuals and families must be healthy--physically and spiritually--to take advantage of the opportunities around them,” said Mayor Dixon. “The average city resident dies six years earlier than the average resident of the state of Maryland. Six years is a long time. It means a grandmother losing her chance to see her grandchildren grow up. It means a young person having to make his way in the world without the advice and support of an older generation.”

In her address, Mayor Dixon highlighted many of the ways in which the Bloomberg School of Public Health is collaborating with the Baltimore Health Department and other city agencies. The mayor announced that the Health Department would soon be releasing health status reports for each of Baltimore’s 55 community areas. The reports were developed by the Health Department and a group of students and faculty from the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The full text of Mayor Dixon’s speech, "The Health of Baltimore 2008: Challenges and Opportunities,"  is available online at website of the Baltimore Health Department.

Mayor Dixon’s October 6 visit to the Bloomberg School marked the beginning of the third annual Baltimore Week celebration at Johns Hopkins. Baltimore Week highlights the health issues of the community through awareness and community engagement activities. It is co-sponsored by SOURCE (Student Outreach Resource Center), the Baltimore Week Committee and the Student Assembly.