Today, we celebrate National Rural Health Day. National Rural Health Day was created as a way to increase awareness of rural health-related issues, such as accessibility, a lack of healthcare providers, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens.
Here in Kansas, where the Community Tool Box has its roots, more than 820,000 people call rural Kansas home. These small towns, farming communities, and frontier areas are fueled by the creative energy of ordinary citizens who historically have been willing to step forward and take risks in order to provide a wealth of products and resources for the rest of the country.
Did you know?
- Nearly one in five Americans live in rural and frontier areas.
- Rural hospitals are sources of innovation and resourcefulness that reach beyond geographical boundaries to deliver quality care. They are also typically the economic foundation of their communities – every dollar spent on rural hospitals generates about $2.20 for the local economy.
- All 50 states maintain a State Office of Rural Health (SORH). Collectively, SORHs provided technical assistance to more than 28,000 rural communities each year.
Guest post by Sara Roberts, Director of Rural Health at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment
I am very pleased to have read this section of community empowerment and of knowledge. I would like to urge our brothers and sisters around the world to take keen interest in aleviating poverty, through educating rural community third world countries like Africa. I work as social justice advocate for one of the great NGOs in he world and I have seen a lot of lack skills in tackling poverty in my continent, my heart bleeds to experience the highest levels of illiteracy in my country Zambia an dwonder when we can come out of it. However, We, in the advocacy domain have started joining hand to promote literacy through engaging the government to take the lead. I thank you all of you that made a contibution towards the publication of this document. Thanks you all