SETTING PRIORITIES FOR HEALTH PROGRAMS

Setting sound program priorities for health promotion depends on objectively constructed descriptions of prevailing health problems and how they manifest in the target population. To select one problem from several, the following questions should
be answered:

1. Which problem has the greatest impact in terms of death, disease, days lost from work, rehabilitation costs, disability (temporary and permanent), family disorganization, and cost to communities and agencies for damage repair or loss and cost recovery?
2. Are certain subpopulations, such as children, mothers, blacks, or Hispanics, at special risk?
3. Which nroblems are most susceptible to intervention?
4. Which problem is not being addressed by other agencies in the community? Is there a need that is being neglected?
5. Which problem, when appropriately addressed, has the greatest potential for an attractive yield in improved health status, economic savings, or other benefits?
6. Are any of the health problems highly ranked as a regional or national priority? (State health agencies are developing priorities among health problems, often based on local epidemiologic data.)