A health crisis occurs when an illness or other event threatens to cause serious, widespread and disproportionate harm to populations. A health crisis can be triggered by a single event, like an infectious disease outbreak or by a series of events, such as rising medical costs or the failure of the healthcare system to provide access to care.
CDC’s approach to public health is guided by the principle of health equity, which seeks to ensure that all people have the opportunity to live their best life. We address these issues through prevention and a focus on the social determinants of health.
In the United States, many chronic diseases are on the rise. Obesity, heart disease, and cancer take millions of lives every year. These diseases drive up healthcare costs, rob individuals of their independence and quality of life, and burden families with emotional and caregiving burdens that can last decades. In addition, chronic diseases disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color.
More than half of adults say they or a family member have struggled to pay for health care in the past year, mainly because of high medical costs. Young adults and those with lower incomes are more likely to report problems with affordability.