The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides ongoing administrative, scientific, and technical support for the operations of the National Prevention Council.

The 2014 Annual Status Report highlights achievements of the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council (National Prevention Council). The National Prevention Council leverages the work of 20 executive departments and agencies to align and integrate health and prevention into policies, practices, and programs. The Council engages leadership from across sectors to improve the health of the Nation and advance the National Prevention Strategy’s goal to “increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life.” The Council’s work is informed by the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health and by partners across the country working to advance the National Prevention Strategy. This report presents the Council’s progress implementing the National Prevention Strategy and highlights implementation efforts by public and private partners.

The National Prevention Council, created through the Affordable Care Act and chaired by the U.S. Surgeon General, provides coordination and leadership among 20 executive departments and agencies with respect to prevention, wellness, and health promotion activities. Such high-profile involvement demonstrates an unprecedented commitment to coordinated Federal action to address prevention and wellness. The National Prevention Council released the Nation’s first National Prevention Strategy in June 2011 with input from the Prevention Advisory Group, stakeholders, and the public.

The National Prevention Strategy guides our Nation in identifying the most effective and achievable means for improving health and well- being. It prioritizes prevention by integrating recommendations and actions across multiple settings to improve health and save lives. Since many of the strongest predictors of health and well-being fall outside of the health care setting, the Strategy envisions a prevention-oriented society where all sectors recognize the value of health for individuals, families, and society and work together to achieve better health for all Americans.

The National Prevention Strategy identifies four Strategic Directions— the foundation for all prevention efforts—and seven targeted Priorities designed to improve health and wellness for all Americans (figure 1). It provides evidence-based recommendations for each Strategic Direction and Priority and supports Healthy People 2020, a 10-year set of science-based National health objectives.

In June 2012, the Council released the National Prevention Council Action Plan, which demonstrates how departments are implementing prevention efforts in line with their respective missions and identifies three shared commitments to accelerate prevention through the high- impact efforts of all National Prevention Council departments (see box). The National Prevention Council continues to advance its commitments by integrating health and wellness into policies, practices, and programs to achieve better health for all Americans.

n this report, National Prevention Council departments, agencies, and offices highlight innovative and collaborative accomplishments that are advancing the National Prevention Strategy and National Prevention Council Action Plan to impact the health of individuals, families, and communities across the country.

Suggested citation: National Prevention Council, Annual Status Report, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2014. Available at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/initiatives/prevention/about/annual_status_reports.html.