The Evolution of the Healthy People Initiative: A Look Through the Decades

Abstract

Each decade, the US Department of Health and Human Services launches a new iteration of the Healthy People initiative. Healthy People strives to create a healthier nation and tracks data-driven outcomes to monitor progress toward achieving the initiative's goals throughout the decade. Although the initiative's mission, vision, and goals have evolved over time, since the initiative's inception in 1979, Healthy People remains dedicated to addressing the social determinants of health and improving the nation's health and well-being. In 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services released the fifth iteration of the initiative, Healthy People 2030. This decade-long initiative provides a focused set of science-based, national objectives with targets to achieve by the year 2030. Healthy People 2030 is available online and offers users access to updated information and tools and resources for implementation. This article discusses the evolution of Healthy People across the decades, highlights Healthy People 2030 and its tools, and illustrates how stakeholders can use Healthy People to achieve their missions and improve the health and well-being of the nation.