SPOKANE, Wash. – Mayor Lisa Brown signed a proclamation observing National Public Health Awareness Week on Monday.
The mayor utilized the moment to argue for the importance of public health spending.
“Local public health spending contributes to a 6.9-percent decrease in infant deaths; 3.2-percent decrease in deaths related to cardiovascular disease; 1.4-percent decrease in deaths due to diabetes; and 1.1-percent decrease in cancer related deaths,” the proclamation states.
The proclamation is ceremonial and does not allocate any funding to public health efforts.
Brown has advocated for more state and local public health funding to respond to homelessness in Spokane.
On a federal level, Spokane entered into an agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services in February which will channel Medicaid funding to elderly members of the community experiencing housing insecurity.
Homelessness and healthcare access continue to be major public health challenges in Spokane.
