Is seems the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has been busy since Barry posted about them last month. Only this time it was Mayor Bloomberg doing the talking. According to a recent NY Times article, Bloomberg announced that, “New York City is healthier than ever” at a press conference yesterday in Brooklyn.

According to a recent progress report on a comprehensive health policy initiative called Take Care New York (TCNY) that began in 2004, New Yorkers are healthier than they were seven years ago. In short, they are smoking less (which they attribute to the aggressive anti-smoking campaign launched in 2002), regularly seeing a doctor, and getting routine colonoscopies. The incidence of death from HIV, alcohol and drug abuse, and lead poisoning has also dropped.

one of several graphic pictures used by the NYC DOHMH for their anti-smoking campaign

TCNY is comprised of 10 action steps that New Yorkers should do to live healthier lives:

1. Have a Regular Doctor or Other Health Care Provider

2. Be Tobacco Free

3. Keep Your Heart Healthy

4. Know Your HIV Status

5. Get Help for Depression

6. Live Free of Dependence on Alcohol and Drugs

7. Get Checked for Cancer

8. Get the Immunizations You Need

9. Make Your Home Safe and Healthy

10. Have a Healthy Baby

But there is still much work to be done. According to the report, fewer women are getting mammograms and the number of women getting a regular Pap test has not changed since 2002. Additionally, fewer New Yorkers over the age of 65 are getting flu shots, which can result in serious or even fatal illness. Another important point is that TCNY does little to battle the obesity epidemic that plagues 22% of adults and 43% of elementary school children in NYC.

So, kudos to the NYC DOHMH for a job well done thus far. But don’t throw in the towel yet, NYC still has a long way to go.