OHIO COALITION FOR FAMILY HEALTH ANNOUNCES LAUNCH

Today the Coalition for Family Health officially announced its formation during a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. 

“Together, we intend to impact policy and improve the lives of women and children by ensuring their access to services, products, and education that are vital to their health and well-being,” said Judi Wolf of the National Council of Jewish Women and convener of the 26-member Coalition for Family Health. 

“Our immediate objective is to join other likeminded organizations in advocating for the passage of the Ohio Prevention First Act, a landmark piece of legislation, introduced last year, which has bipartisan support and the will of the people behind it.  It encourages responsible behavior, will reduce teen pregnancy and it will save taxpayers money,” said Wolf. 

The Coalition for Family Health also released the first of an annual series of reports related to family health in Ohio.  This first report entitled “The Costs of Teen Pregnancy in Ohio” is a compelling argument of the social and economic costs of teen pregnancy rates in Ohio.

“The solution to this problem is, like many health issues, prevention. As the report advocates, parents must be the primary sexuality educators of their children. Open communication with young people is a must in preventing teen pregnancy,” said Dr. Dianne Kerr, an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Health Education and Promotion at Kent State University and author of the report’s foreword

The Coalition for Family Health is a broad-based group representing healthcare, business, and civic organizations whose purpose is to improve health in Ohio, especially for teens, women and girls and families.  The Coalition will be concerned with key aspects of family and reproductive health, including prevention, medical care, and pre-natal/neo-natal care and education.  Efforts to expand Coalition membership to organizations of diverse missions—urban, suburban, and rural; large and small; from throughout the state—are now underway.  Inquiries about Coalition membership should be directed to coalition_for_family_health@yahoo.com. 

Please click here to view “The Costs of Teen Pregnancy in Ohio” report. 
 

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